Council says proposed Duncraig ECEC service needs to go back to the drawing board

A proposal to replace two residential homes in the West Australian suburb of Duncraig with a 92-place early childhood education and care (ECEC) service has been sent back to the developer after Joondalup City officers recommended the Metro Outer Joint Development Assessment Panel refuse the application. 

The assessment panel recommended the application be refused because: 

• it would have an “undue impact on residential amenity”; 
• the scale of the development was not compatible with the adjoining residential land; and, 
• there was inadequate provision for landscaping and the protection of trees.

The proposed service relates to titles covering 68 and 70 Readshaw Road, with the application outlining a $2.1 million development which would accommodate a maximum of 92 children and 18 staff at any one time, and operate Mondays to Fridays between 6.30am and 6.30pm.

Parking, an outdoor play space and a single-story building, with a maximum height of 8.2m are shown in the proposal, which indicates a single vehicle access point from Readshaw Road to provide access to 28 bays located to the eastern side of the site.

The City made the recommendation following a period of public consultation, during which two applications in favour of the development, and 31 against were received, noting that the proposal also did not consider the advice of the Joondalup Design Reference Panel in relation to height, bulk, scale, orientation, appearance and landscaping of the development.

Of the 31 pieces of oppositional feedback, respondents listed concerns about the proximity of the access driveway to a traffic junction, inadequate parking, increased noise and traffic, and the design of the service not being in keeping with the architectural style of the area. 

A meeting report cited in local publication Perth Now said Main Roads WA had “no objections to the proposal, subject to conditions” including an acoustic report, and the City’s technical officers agreed with the parking provided.

The panel, Perth Now journalists wrote, “unanimously voted to defer making a decision to allow the applicant to submit revised plans that address height, bulk, scale, orientation, appearance and landscaping, enhance the compatibility of the development with the residential streetscape, and consider retention of a large eucalyptus tree.”

To access the Perth Now coverage of this story, please see here.