Controversial Strathfieldaye service station could open 24 hours

The change would allow the proposed 7-Eleven at the corner of Strathfieldsaye Road and Club Court to open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

City of Greater Bendigo councillors will decide the matter on Monday, nine months after state planning umpire the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal overturned the council's attempts to block the project.

Developers have asked the council to scrap a planning condition forcing it to close at 11pm on weeknights, and earlier on the weekends.

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7-Elevens often open 24 hours and developers had originally asked for just that before dropping the idea for a planning umpire hearing.

Eight nearby residents have objected to revised opening hour clauses but most of their arguments will not be relevant to the Bendigo councillors' decision, council staff say.

That is because many reprise arguments from the already lost battle to stop the project entirely.

Other objectors said the opening hour changes had not come with enough noise impact assessments and could affect neighbourhood amenity.

Council officers would have no problem with 24-hour operations.

In fact, they were "somewhat" surprised when developers dropped the clause during the planning umpire hearing.

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Just six vehicles pull into similar 7-Elevens in Ballarat at night, developers have told them.

"If this data is to be relied upon, this is a relatively low number of additional traffic expected to visit the site during the extended operating hours," council officers said.

Developers also want to add specific rules stopping fuel tanker deliveries and waste collections late at night, "both of which are likely to have significantly more acoustic impact", council staff said.

A new sound and light-dampening fence would rise along one boundary. Developers would modify some site designs.

One objector said it would be premature to extend opening hours. They want the council to hold off any decisions until the service station starts operating.

Council officers disagree. They say they can enforce the proposed rules effectively.

"It is also noted that 7-Eleven itself operate [sic] under stringent management practices which seek to ensure that each store is managed appropriately, which may give further comfort to those nearby to the site," council officers said.

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