280 Queen Street gains approval, but who of the 'old guard' are left?
One of the batch of large planning applications still active yet submitted prior to the current Government's implementation of interim planning controls looks to have gained approval.
According to the State Government's Greenlight online permit manager a large residential tower at 272-282 Queen Street received approval on the 15th of June. Brady Property Group is behind the project with the tower now joining 380 Lonsdale Street as pending CBD projects for the prolific developer.
Submitted during late 2014 and designed by Peddle Thorp Architects, the project contains near on 600 apartments and spans 80 levels or 255 metres. Barring any indication that the tower has changed considerably since its submission, the approval of 272-282 Queen Street is significant in that the project would have contravened interim planning controls if submitted post their implementation.
272-282 Queen Street's apparent approval poses a wider question; which notable planning applications submitted prior to the interim controls which took hold during September last year and have yet to receive a planning outcome?
Given the State Government's Greenlight online permit manager is best described as hit and miss, here is Urban.com.au's best assertion as to which of the 'old guard' have yet to reach a planning outcome. Keep in mind that projects shown below are limited to Melbourne's CBD and Southbank, as only they are subject to interim controls, and soon permanent controls which will make the below projects nigh on impossible in many contemporary scenarios.
The vast majority of outstanding applications are centred in the CBD, more so along the CBD's western and northern flank. Eight major submissions dated prior to the interim planning controls are still in play according to Greenlight, with more than 4,400 apartments and an associated hotel still in the air.
Projects such as 111-125 A'Beckett Street, 183-189 A'Beckett Street, 478-488 Elizabeth and 441-451 Elizabeth are seeking to call the northern reaches of the CBD home whilst 640 Bourke Street, 140 king Street and 556-558 Lonsdale Street are looking for a western CBD presence.
This leaves DEXUS Property Group's 32-44 Flinders Street as the sole pre-interim planning control application in the CBD's eastern end.
Should some or all of these projects gain the nod, they will likely contribute to Melbourne's CBD becoming the densest in Australia, in line with this article.
To Southbank and Central Equity have submissions over two sites at 71-87 City Road and 268-274 City Road, with both comfortably pushing beyond the 200 metre mark in their initial submission. Both were submitted during June 2015 and if the duo receive approval, Central Equity can expect to take another 1,300 plus apartments to market.
Another project under scrutiny south of the river is 135 Sturt Street with the Hayball-designed 41 level tower seeking approval for 300 plus apartments set above a highly active podium.
Less clear is the outcome of 295 City Road. According to Greenlight the project has yet to reach a planning outcome although project lead Crone Architects have the 70 level development as holding town planning approval on their website.
Projects that have seemingly fallen by the wayside include 293-303 La Trobe Street and 63 Exhibition street, whilst redesigned projects such as 158 City Road and 334-344 City Road have yet to be seen publicly.
Whether on not all of the above receive planning approval remains to be seen, but the confirmation of 272-282 Queen Street suggests that there is scope for the batch of 'old guard' applications to receive approval.
A full list of active major applications submitted prior to the implementation of interim planning controls is seen below. Feel free to comment should any of those seen below be incorrect.
