TOWN PLANNING AND URBAN CONTEXT REPORT

ADDRESS: 459 - 471 CHURCH STREET AND 20 - 26 BRIGHTON STREET, RICHMOND PREPARED FOR: SALTA PROPERTIES DATE: 4 JULY 2018

Document Information

Issue Date 4 July 2018 Prepared for SALTA PROPERTIES

Prepared by SW Reviewed by WP

Project No. 10310 Project Name. 459 - 471 CHURCH STREET AND 20 - 26 BRIGHTON STREET, RICHMOND

Disclaimer and Copyright

This document was commissioned by and prepared for the exclusive use of the Client. It is subject to and issued in accordance with the agreement between the Client and Human Habitats.

Human Habitats act in all professional matters as a faithful advisor to its Clients and exercise all reasonable skill and care in the provision of its professional services. The information presented herein has been compiled from a number of sources using a variety of methods. Except where expressly stated, Human Habitats does not attempt to verify the accuracy, validity or comprehensiveness of any information supplied to Human Habitats by third parties. Human Habitats makes no warranty, express or implied, or assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, validity or comprehensiveness of this document, or the misapplication or misinterpretation by third parties of its contents.

Reference herein to any specific commercial product, process, or service by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favouring by Human Habitats.

This document cannot be copied or reproduced in whole or part for any purpose without the prior written consent of Human Habitats.

CONTENTS 1 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 2

2 Introduction ............................................................................................................................................................... 4

3 The Subject Site and Surrounding Context ................................................................................................................. 6

3.1 The Site .............................................................................................................................................................. 6

3.2 Certificates of Title ............................................................................................................................................ 10

3.3 Location ............................................................................................................................................................11

3.4 Recent modern / emerging built form pattern ................................................................................................... 12

3.5 Views ................................................................................................................................................................ 18

3.6 Site interfaces ................................................................................................................................................... 18

3.7 Access & Movement ......................................................................................................................................... 23

4 The Proposal ............................................................................................................................................................ 24

4.1 Key Features ..................................................................................................................................................... 24

5 Planning Policy Framework ...................................................................................................................................... 28

5.1 State and Local Planning Policy Framework ...................................................................................................... 28

5.2 Swan Street Structure Plan ............................................................................................................................... 30

5.3 Commercial 2 Zone ........................................................................................................................................... 31

5.4 General Residential Zone (Schedule 2) .............................................................................................................. 31

5.5 Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 2 (DDO2) ..................................................................................... 32

5.6 Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 5 (DDO5) ..................................................................................... 32

5.7 City Link Project Overlay (CLPO) ....................................................................................................................... 33

5.8 Particular Provisions ......................................................................................................................................... 33

6 Planning Considerations ........................................................................................................................................... 34

6.1 Overview .......................................................................................................................................................... 34

6.2 Strategic Planning Drivers ................................................................................................................................. 35

6.3 Built Form ......................................................................................................................................................... 38

6.4 Internal Amenity ............................................................................................................................................... 49

6.5 Transport and Traffic ........................................................................................................................................ 51

7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................................... 52

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1 – Office vacancy rates (Colliers Edge) .................................................................................................................... 2 Figure 2 - The proposed development (as viewed from the north) ...................................................................................... 3 Figure 3 – Proposed Shamrock Street treatment ................................................................................................................ 5 Figure 4 – Existing site conditions ....................................................................................................................................... 6 Figure 5 – Northern end of the subject site fronting Church Street ...................................................................................... 7 Figure 6 – Southern end of the subject site front Church Street .......................................................................................... 7 Figure 7 – Northern abuttal of the subject site (Shamrock Street) ....................................................................................... 8 Figure 8 – Single level weatherboard dwelling fronting Brighton Street .............................................................................. 8 Figure 9 – Balance of the Brighton Street frontage (currently undeveloped land) ................................................................ 9 Figure 10 – View south along Brighton Street proximate to the subject site ........................................................................ 9 Figure 11 – TP 741791S (the largest parcel of land forming part of the subject site) ............................................................ 10 Figure 12 - Surrounding area .............................................................................................................................................11 Figure 13 - 480 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Glenville) .................................................................................................. 12 Figure 14 - 506- 510 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Alfasi) ............................................................................................... 12 Figure 15 - 12-18 Albert St, Richmond VIC 3121 (Cremorne Properties Pty Ltd) ................................................................. 13 Figure 16 - 511 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Rea Group) ............................................................................................... 13 Figure 17 - 534 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Building X) ................................................................................................ 14 Figure 18 - 19 William St, Cremorne VIC 3121 .................................................................................................................... 14 Figure 19 - 57 Balmain St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Rosella) ..................................................................................................... 15 Figure 20 - 594- 612 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 .......................................................................................................... 16 Figure 21 - 5 Howard St, Cremorne VIC 3121 ...................................................................................................................... 17 Figure 22 - 633 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121 (residential building) ................................................................................... 17 Figure 23 - Views from the site ......................................................................................................................................... 18 Figure 24 – Properties to the north of the subject site fronting Church Street ................................................................... 18 Figure 25 – Dwellings located on the northern side of Shamrock Street ............................................................................ 19 Figure 26 – 16 Brighton Street, Richmond (existing conditions) ........................................................................................ 19 Figure 27 – 16 Brighton Street (Ground Floor Approved Conditions) ................................................................................. 20 Figure 28 – 16 Brighton Street (first and second Floor plan approved conditions) .............................................................. 20 Figure 29 – View looking south along Brighton Street....................................................................................................... 21 Figure 30 – 475 Church Street. Richmond ......................................................................................................................... 21 Figure 31 – 28 Brighton Street .......................................................................................................................................... 22 Figure 32 – Church Street streetscape looking south ........................................................................................................ 22 Figure 33 – City of Yarra Travel Smart Map (extract from Impact Traffic Report) ............................................................... 23 Figure 34 – Bicycle Network Plan (extract from Impact Traffic Report) .............................................................................. 23 Figure 35 – Proposed development as viewed from Church Street (Building A and B) ........................................................ 24 Figure 36 – Proposed development as viewed from the south-east ................................................................................... 25 Figure 37 – Proposed development as viewed from Brighton Street (Building C) ............................................................... 25 Figure 38 – Proposed Church Street podium ..................................................................................................................... 26 Figure 39 – Proposed Ground Floor Landscape Plan ......................................................................................................... 27 Figure 40 – Proposed Shamrock Street treatment ............................................................................................................ 27 Figure 41 – Clause 21.08-2 – Neighbourhood Map for Burnley, Cremorne, South Richmond.............................................. 29 Figure 42 - Excerpt from Swan Street Structure Plan ........................................................................................................ 30 Figure 43 – Zoning Map .................................................................................................................................................... 31 Figure 44 – Proposed Development as viewed from the east ............................................................................................ 34 Figure 45 - Map of Cremorne and surrounds ..................................................................................................................... 36 Figure 46 - Quality architecture is evident with the Church Street podium treatment and western façade composition ..... 37 Figure 47 – Improved Shamrock Street interface under the proposed conditions .............................................................. 39 Figure 48 – Proposed central courtyard ............................................................................................................................ 40 Figure 49 – Proposed lobby space (with void above) ......................................................................................................... 40 Figure 50 – Proposed massing strategy across the site ...................................................................................................... 41 Figure 51 – Shamrock Street Interface .............................................................................................................................. 42 Figure 52 – Richmond / Cremorne Landmarks .................................................................................................................. 43 Figure 53 – Proposed massing strategy ............................................................................................................................. 45 Figure 54 – Proposed landscape buffer ............................................................................................................................. 46 Figure 55 – Midday shadow impacts ................................................................................................................................. 47 Figure 56 – Proposed Development as viewed from the east ............................................................................................ 48 Figure 57 – Proposed central courtyard ............................................................................................................................. 49

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1 Executive Summary

Located within one of Melbourne’s key urban renewal areas driven by business / economic stimulating development, the 459 – 471 Church Street & 20 – 26 Brighton Street provides a unique opportunity to deliver a built form and land use outcome that has significant benefits for the local area and wider metropolis.

As noted by the Panel in Melbourne Planning Scheme Amendment C270, office tenant requirements and amenity in commercial locations drives the physical form of office accommodation. Over the last 20 years, evidence noted by the Panel indicated that tenants have been seeking larger, more flexible floor plates to reduce costs and increase densities, as well as improve office adaptability. The Panel observed that the average floor plate size observed in Melbourne over the last 4-5 years is 2,250 square metres.

The majority of this commercial growth over the last 20 years has been accommodated in areas such as Docklands where numerous large format campus style office buildings have been developed. However, the reduced ongoing capacity of these traditional commercial office locations means that demand is now shifting to other well serviced parts of the Melbourne Metropolis where large sites are move available.

At a local level, ongoing change in the structure of employment has begun across the City of Yarra in recent years with strong growth in property, business services, retail, and the finance and insurance sectors. This demand for employment has been welcomed considering the decline in wholesale and manufacturing sectors across the City of Yarra. As traditional office locations such as the CBD and Docklands reach capacity, employment precincts such as Richmond/Cremorne have become increasingly attractive locations for office based employment. This location appears to cater for the continuing growth in small to medium sized business services and the ‘new economy’ employment of an increasingly skilled workforce.

The demand for additional office space is reflected in the in the effective rental growth in the City Fringe Areas (which include Richmond / Cremorne) which has experienced growth in the order of 20% over the year to March 2018, and which has featured a vacancy rate of below 3.5% for in excess of 18 months. Real Estate Advisory firm Colliers are predicting that the underlying fundamentals of demand within this area are sustainable, and that demand will remain strong given Melbourne’s promising economic outlook and extraordinary population growth.

459 – 471 Church Street and 20 – 26 Brighton Street (the subject site) is located at the northern end of the Richmond/Cremorne employment precinct which is currently undergoing substantial urban renewal for a range of mid and higher-rise building forms. Given the unique physical and locational attributes of the site, it is fair to say that it is able to play a major role in accommodating a net increase of 9,000 jobs within the Richmond/Cremorne employment precinct between 2001 and 2036 as anticipated by the Swan Street Structure Plan (SSSP). This level of job growth is of significant value to the City of Yarra as it enables specialist local employment, wealth creation, innovation and implements a range of local and metropolitan planning objectives.

Figure 1 – Office vacancy rates (Colliers Edge)

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In addition to the economic benefits associated with the principle commercial office land use, the proposal provides a number of benefits to the local and wider metropolis due to the proposed development which demonstrates architectural excellence, and the mixed-use programming within the development, including:

An opportunity to transform a private land holding of significant scale which currently features a series of buildings that contribute very little to the surrounding area with a development that features three separate “campus” style buildings connected through a high amenity ground floor plane

The proposed development will re-inforce Richmond’s rich manufacturing / employment generating past by delivering a number of non-residential land uses (restricted retail, childcare, office) which align with council’s strategic vision for the area

The proposal will result in a superior public realm outcome due to the proposed ground floor treatment which includes highly activated street frontages, communal amenities, open air courtyards and shared work spaces

The proposal will improve the local urban environment by delivering built form outcome which demonstrates architectural excellence which has evolved through a detailed analysis of the micro and macro urban contexts

The design response is reflective of the fine grain and character of the City of Yarra and Cremorne

The design response provides an appropriate interface and transition to the dwellings located to the north, east and south

The proposal will provide high-amenity office floorplates of varied size scales which will benefit significantly from the site’s unique location and the building’s high performance from an ESD perspective

In summary, it is for these reasons it is submitted that the proposal will significantly contribute greatly to the local area from a livelihood and economic perspective will ultimately result in net community benefit.

Figure 2 - The proposed development (as viewed from the north)

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2 Introduction

This planning and urban context report has been prepared by Human Habitats on behalf of Salta Properties Pty Ltd (the permit applicant and owner of the land) in support of an application to develop 459 – 471 Church Street and 20 – 26 Brighton Street (the subject site) with the purpose of a mixed use multi-storey development. Pursuant to the Yarra Planning Scheme, a planning permit is required for the following elements of the proposal:

Buildings and works in the C2Z.

Use of the land for a child care centre and buildings and works in the GRZ.

Modifications of vehicle access arrangements to Church Street (being a RDZ1).

Reduction in the number of car parking spaces as required by Clause 52.06 for all uses except child care.

This application is supported by the following materials:

Item Prepared By

1 Architectural Urban Context Report and Architectural Plans Architectus

2 Planning and Urban Context Report Human Habitats

3 Sustainability Management Plan Cundall

4A Traffic Management Report Impact Traffic Engineering

4B Green Travel Plan (Appendix E of Item 4) Impact Traffic Engineering

5 Waste Management Plan Irwin Consult

6 Acoustic Report Cundall

7 Tunnel structural advice Golder Associates

8 Environmental Wind Advice MEL Consultants

9 Landscape and public realm report Mala Studio

10 Planning Permit Application Form -

11 Certificate of Titles -

12 The requisite administration fee of $56,638.30 -

13 MPL certificate based on an estimated development value of $90 million (total cost $117,000)

-

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It is our assessment that the proposal demonstrates an appropriate outcome in this case. In coming to this conclusion we have considered the following key questions:

Does the proposal demonstrate an appropriate outcome considering the strategic planning drivers for the proposed land uses?

Does the design response demonstrate a high quality built form outcome?

Will the proposal contribute positively to the public realm?

Will development provide for good levels of amenity for future occupants of the building?

Will the development contribute positively to the traffic and transport needs and ambitions of Richmond, the City of Yarra and the wider Melbourne Metropolis?

The following report provides a full assessment of these key matters and finds that a permit should be granted subject to reasonable and relevant standard conditions.

Figure 3 – Proposed Shamrock Street treatment

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3 The Subject Site and Surrounding Context

3.1 The Site

The subject site, located at 459 – 471 Church Street and 20 – 26 Brighton Street, Richmond, is a privately held land holidng that is unique in terms of its physical scale and locational attributes. The subject site features three street abuttals (Church Street to the east, Shamrock Street to the north, Brighton Street to the east) and has the following attributes:

A frontage to Church Street of 47m

A northern abuttal to Shamrock Street of 93m

A frontage to Brighton Street of 35m

An approximate east-west length of 123m

An overall size of 5276 sqm

The existing on-site conditions can be seen below at Figure 3.

Figure 4 – Existing site conditions

The subject site is predominately occupied by a two storey rendered brick building which is used as a showroom and associated office. The southern edge of the site is used as an at-grade car park accessed from Church Street, with the balance consisting of a single level warehouse and a vacant parcel of land to its east fronting Brighton Street. A single level weatherboard dwelling makes up the remainder of the Brighton Street frontage.

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Figure 5 – Northern end of the subject site fronting Church Street

Figure 6 – Southern end of the subject site front Church Street

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Figure 7 – Northern abuttal of the subject site (Shamrock Street)

Figure 8 – Single level weatherboard dwelling fronting Brighton Street

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Figure 9 – Balance of the Brighton Street frontage (currently undeveloped land)

Figure 10 – View south along Brighton Street proximate to the subject site

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3.2 Certificates of Title

The subject legally comprises the following parcels of land:

Certificate of Title Volume 10534 Folio 088 – Title Plan 018720C

Certificate of Title Volume 3188 Folio 510 – Title Plan 835062H

Certificate of Title Volume 4440 Folio 889 – Title Plan 746732H

Certificate of Title Volume 4838 Folio 564 – Title Plan 747046V

Certificate of Title Volume 4963 Folio 597 – Title Plan 693554W

Certificate of Title Volume 5283 Folio 517 – Title Plan 741791S

Certificate of Title Volume 6002 Folio 219 – Title Plan 377580K

Certificate of Title Volume Folio 597 – Title Plan 693554W

Certificate of Title Volume 5283 Folio 517 – Title Plan 741791S

Certificate of Title Volume 6002 Folio 219 – Title Plan 377580K

Certificate of Title Volume 6281 Folio 179- Title Plan 895899J

Certificate of Title Volume 7555 Folio 038 – Title Plan 512064F

Certificate of Title Volume 1542 Folio 370 – Title Plan 600753Q

Certificate of Title 1603 Folio 520 – Title Plan 702427L

Certificate of Title 10543 Folio 235 – Title Plan 892174X

Certificate of Title Volume 4474 Folio 615 – Title Plan 512842G

Certificate of Title Volume 8066 Folio 355 – Title Plan 511648H

Certificate of Title Volume 2253 Folio 589 – Title Plan 845425Q

Certificate of Title Volume 3742 Folio 303 – Title Plan 895487j

Certificate of Title Volume 6754 Folio 675 – Title Plan 845454H

Certificate of Title Volume 10405 Folio 400 – Title Plan 010910Qa

These titles accompany this report and collectively they do not contain any legal restrictions that would prevent the development as proposed.

Figure 11 – TP 741791S (the largest parcel of land forming part of the subject site)

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3.3 Location

The subject site enjoys close proximity to a range of services and facilities including:

Barkly Gardens (185m east)

Tram stop on Church Street (20m west)

Swan Street Activity Centre (185m to the north)

Tram Stop on Swan Street (185m to the north)

White Street Park (470m to the north-west)

East Richmond Station (90m to the north-west)

Main Yarra Trail (walking and cycling track and parkland) (755 metres south);

McConchie Reserve (660m to the south-east)

Richmond Primary School (330m to the south-east)

City Link (730m to the south)

Richmond Station (920m to the north-west)

Olympic Park (1.1km to the north-west)

Figure 12 - Surrounding area

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3.4 Recent modern / emerging built form pattern

As evident in Figures 13- 22, the recent and emerging built form in the surrounding area provides a character that is robust and varied. The built form is generally built to the boundaries, which aids street definition and often incorporates ground floor retailers to further activate these streets. Therefore, it can be said that the recent and emerging trend aims to significantly improve the public realm, which can also have a profoundly positive impact on street safety through passive surveillance.

The emerging built form is of a high, contemporary design standard, incorporating visually interesting features which respond well to the existing character of Richmond and Cremorne. Additionally, design responses incorporate high standards of environmental sustainability and further encourage sustainable transport through varied provisions of on-site car parking.

Figure 13 - 480 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Glenville)

Figure 14 - 506- 510 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Alfasi)

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Figure 15 - 12-18 Albert St, Richmond VIC 3121 (Cremorne Properties Pty Ltd)

Figure 16 - 511 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Rea Group)

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Figure 17 - 534 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Building X)

Figure 18 - 19 William St, Cremorne VIC 3121

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Figure 19 - 57 Balmain St, Cremorne VIC 3121 (Rosella)

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Figure 20 - 594- 612 Church St, Cremorne VIC 3121

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Figure 21 - 5 Howard St, Cremorne VIC 3121

Figure 22 - 633 Church St, Richmond VIC 3121 (residential building)

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3.5 Views

Due to its unique physical size, the subject site is able to accommodate a landmark building that will be viewed ‘in the round’ from surrounding vantage points. As a result, the mid and upper levels of the building will enjoy a wide viewshed over locations such as Melbourne’s CBD, Yarra Bend Park, Barkly Gardens and the Yarra River.

Figure 23 - Views from the site

3.6 Site interfaces

North 3.6.1

Immediately north, the subject site abuts Shamrock Street which is a narrow Council maintained street. Further north are a number of properties orientated towards the west fronting Church Street, and further east, are a series of properties orientated to the south fronting Shamrock Street.

457, 455 and 447 Church Street are properties that front Church Street to the north of the site. Each site is improved with a building ranging in height between two and three storeys which are used for either retail showroom / commercial purposes (457 and 447 Church Street) or as a restaurant (455 Church Street).

Figure 24 – Properties to the north of the subject site fronting Church Street

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North of the site, east of the properties fronting Church Street, are a series of single and double storey brick or weatherboard dwellings fronting Shamrock Street that feature a series of low metal and timber picket fences along their frontage. Each dwelling is afforded an area of secluded private open space along its northern edge.

Figure 25 – Dwellings located on the northern side of Shamrock Street

16 Brighton Street abuts the subject site to the north-east. The property is currently improved with a single storey brick double fronted dwelling. The property benefits from Planning Permit PLN11/0673 which allows ‘the development of land for the construction of four dwellings and a reduction in the car parking requirement.’ Plans were endorsed to form part of the permit during January 2018 and it is expected the permit will be acted upon.

Figure 26 – 16 Brighton Street, Richmond (existing conditions)

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Figure 27 – 16 Brighton Street (Ground Floor Approved Conditions)

Figure 28 – 16 Brighton Street (first and second Floor plan approved conditions)

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East 3.6.2

Abutting the subject site is the road reserve of Brighton Street. The street is characterised by built form of varied architectural styles of between two and three storeys predominately used for residential purposes (however features additional land uses such as offices).

Figure 29 – View looking south along Brighton Street

South 3.6.3

475 Church Street is located to the south of the subject site. The property is developed with a single level warehouse currently used as a furniture showroom that occupies the entirety of the site (with the exception of a driveway along a portion of its southern edge). The building features a blank boundary wall along its northern edge.

Figure 30 – 475 Church Street. Richmond

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28 Brighton Street is located to the south of the subject site fronting Brighton Street. The property is occupied by a single

storey, double fronted dwelling which features an area of secluded private open space within its rear setback.

Figure 31 – 28 Brighton Street

West 3.6.4

Located to the west of the subject site is Church Street. As illustrated above, the street features a varied built form and is expected to experience rapid change as large single and double storey warehouses / showrooms are redeveloped with medium and high scale non-residential buildings.

Figure 32 – Church Street streetscape looking south

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3.7 Access & Movement

The site is highly accessible by all forms of public transport. As depicted in the below plan, and supported by the submitted transport impact assessment, the subject site is within walking distance of trams along Church Street and Swan Street, and Richmond and East Richmond Train Stations.

The site also benefits from extensive cycle and pedestrian infrastructure with an abundance of dedicated on-road and off road bike lanes, as well as excellent pedestrian connections typical of an inner city suburb.

Figure 33 – City of Yarra Travel Smart Map (extract from Impact Traffic Report)

Figure 34 – Bicycle Network Plan (extract from Impact Traffic Report)

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4 The Proposal

The proposal has evolved through an extensive design process driven by locally renowned architects Architectus. The design of each of the proposed buildings and the interconnecting ground floor plane has been informed by a thorough urban context analysis completed by Architectus, Human Habitats and MALA Studio.

Figure 35 – Proposed development as viewed from Church Street (Building A and B)

4.1 Key Features

The development has an estimated development cost in the order of 90 million dollars and features the following key features:

Demolition of all existing structures / features on the site

Development of a “campus” style arrangement of buildings across the site. A total of three buildings are proposed each with varied architectural designs, scale and massing

Building A is located along the Church Street frontage of the site. The building features a four storey podium and an overall height of 14 storeys. The building contains approximately 2000 sqm of restricted retail floor space and 14500 sqm of commercial office

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Figure 36 – Proposed development as viewed from the south-east

Building B is located centrally within the site. The building features an overall height of 8 storeys and contains 1251 sqm of space used for varied purposes (restricted retail/ lobby / end of trip / car park) and 3089 sqm of commercial office. The building features setbacks to the southern site boundary that increase as the overall building height increases, providing opportunities for outdoor terraces at each level

Figure 37 – Proposed development as viewed from Brighton Street (Building C)

Building C is located to the rear of the site is orientated towards Brighton Road. The building features a part two, part three storey modular streetwall to Brighton Street which “steps” towards the north. Behind the streetwall, the building features a recessive third and forth stroeys which are setback from all boundaries. The building contains 2388 sqm of floor area and is proposed to be used as a childcare centre for 96 children operating between 7am and 7pm. In terms of outdoor area, 314 sqm of terrace / roof-top playspace is proposed.

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Figure 38 – Proposed Church Street podium

The proposal has deliberately been designed to feature three separate buildings to maximise opportunities for internal amenity. All work spaces will have access to high levels of sunlight, which not only provides for a positive working environment but can also play an important role in minimising electricity use by negating the need for significant artificial light. Additionally, tenants will have access to outdoor terraces which will provide a flexible and welcoming space for meetings, meals, enjoying outdoor space and views and other work related activities.

The development features a two level basement which is separated into two individual portions (a single level basement located under the childcare centre accessed via Brighton Street, and a two level basement with a mezzanine under the balance of the site accessed via Shamrock Street). A total of 221 basement car parks are provided for the office / restricted retail tenancies, and a total of 22 car parks are provided for the childcare centre.

A secure bicycle facility is provided at ground level and features a total of 195 bicycle spaces. In addition, 24 showers are proposed and associated change and locker facilities.

As discussed in the executive summary, the need for space to accommodate the growing high-skill employment sector has expanded beyond the central confines of the city and into inner-suburban precincts such as Richmond/Cremorne. The proposal responds to this with floorplates which are large and flexible to accommodate a range of business needs.

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Figure 39 – Proposed Ground Floor Landscape Plan

A highly activated and permeable ground floor plane is proposed. The development includes a central pedestrian entrance to Church Street which provides access to a generous lobby space and central courtyard which features a broad opening to Shamrock Street. These spaces are activated by separate restricted retail tenancies and landscaped areas which will encourage incidental engagement and collaboration throughout the site. The proposed childcare centre is accessed via a landscaped central pedestrian entrance to Brighton Street.

Architecture – The proposal recognises and enhances Yarra’s historic built form through a campus style design response which creates a transition across the site from a height, scale and architectural design perspective.

ESD – The proposal achieves high levels of environmental sustainability, demonstrating the potential to achieve a 5-Star performance which demonstrates “Australian Excellence”.

Figure 40 – Proposed Shamrock Street treatment

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5 Planning Policy Framework

The following planning policy is considered relevant to the assessment of the proposed development.

5.1 State and Local Planning Policy Framework

The following planning policies in the State Planning Policies are considered to be relevant to the subject proposal:

Clause 11 – Settlement

Clause 11.06 – Metropolitan Melbourne / Plan Melbourne 2017-2050: Metropolitan Planning Strategy

Clause 15 – Built Environment and Heritage

Clause 17 – Economic Development

Clause 18 – Transport

The Local Planning Policy Framework builds on State policies and local strategic planning studies and applies them to a local context. Yarra's Municipal Strategic Statement (MSS) and Local Planning Policy Framework (LPPF) acknowledge Richmond/Cremorne is well placed to provide for urban renewal and recognises the greater commercial opportunities that exist to enable the city to capitalise on the changing employment base. The proposed use and development is aligned within the following policies contained within the MSS and LPPF:

Clause 21.02 (Municipal Profile) outlines the Municipal Profile and recognises that the majority of Yarra's population is of working age with a high percentage of those (40% in 2006) professionals. Clause 21.02 acknowledges the changing role of the municipality in terms of Yarra being an increasing focus for finance, property and business services. The profile also acknowledges the public transport-rich nature of the city and the function this plays in attracting new businesses and people to work within the City of Yarra.

Clause 21.03 (The vision for the City of Yarra) provides four focus points — land use, built form, transport and environmental sustainability. Yarra seeks to provide for increased opportunities for employment, provide areas of higher development amongst a low-rise urban form, encourage design excellence, safe and active streets dominated by walkers and cyclists and promote state-of-the-art environmental design. The proposal is found to directly respond to this vision, noting the substantial office component and significant focus of the design on architectural excellence and environmental sustainability which it is considered will set a new benchmark for mixed use and integrated development within Richmond.

Clause 21.04 (Land Use) has the principle focus of increasing the number and diversity of local employment opportunities. The proposal will create substantial employment opportunities both during construction and following occupation.

Clause 21.05 (Built Form) deals with matters of heritage, urban design and character. Key objectives under this policy include "to retain Yarra's identity as a low-rise urban form with pockets of higher development" and "to create an inner city environment with landscaped beauty".

Clause 21.06 (Transport) discusses transport, with the thrust of the policy around locating developments in locations which capitalise on public transport access, promote pedestrian and bicycle environments and reduce private motor car usage and subsequently traffic impacts.

Clauses 21.07, 22.16 and 22.17 (Environmentally Sustainable Development) seeks to ensure that the design, construction and operation of buildings minimises its impact on the environment through sustainable design and practises.

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Clause 21.08 (Neighbourhoods) notes the mixed-use nature of development in the Richmond/Cremorne area, and specifically supports the ongoing development of offices and showrooms fronting Church Street south of Swan Street. This is demonstrated by the description of Church Street as… “an activity centre based on furniture and homewares, professional and business services and hospitality. There is an opportunity to enhance this activity centre with consistent active frontages.”

Figure 41 – Clause 21.08-2 – Neighbourhood Map for Burnley, Cremorne, South Richmond

Clause 22.01 (Discretionary Uses in the Residential 1 Zone) seeks to ensure that residential amenity is not adversely affected by non-residential uses. The proposed childcare centre (located within land affected by the GRZ to the rear of the site) responds to this policy as the proposed building aligns with the residential and fine-grain character of Brighton Street, and has been designed to function in a manner that will not result in unreasonable detriment to the surrounding residential land uses.

Clause 22.03 (Landmarks and Tall Structures) seeks to ensure that new tall structures are complimentary to the existing built form, whilst adding interest to the City of Yarra's skyline.

Clause 22.05 (Interface Uses Policy) applies to use or development within commercially zoned land. The policy seeks to reduce conflict between the uses by ensuring that amenity is protected through design and appropriately servicing of the development.

Clause 22.07 (Development Abutting Laneways) - Development abutting laneways is addressed under Clause 22.07 and seeks to ensure that the safety and character of these lanes is maintained.

Clause 22.10 (Built Form and Design Policy) — Built Form and Design comprises ten design elements — urban form and character, setbacks and building heights, street and public space quality, environmental sustainability, site coverage, on-site amenity, off-site amenity, landscaping and fencing, parking, traffic and access, and service infrastructure.

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5.2 Swan Street Structure Plan

The Swan Street Structure Plan is applicable to the subject site and provides a long-term vision for future development in this area and the broader Swan Street locale.

The site is located within Precinct 8 — Cremorne South and is described as "A lively commercial precinct accommodating office and retail uses that are complimented by residential activity in designated parts of the precinct. Redevelopment has provided opportunities to further consolidate commercial activities, strengthen employment, accommodate housing growth and establish a vibrant live work precinct.”

Figure 42 - Excerpt from Swan Street Structure Plan

A 5-6 storey preferred height is indicated. The SSSP recognises that “The scale of existing built form generally ranges between 1 to 7 storeys along Church Street and there are buildings of 5-6 storeys within the commercial area clustered at the southern end of the precinct”.

Despite being an adopted Council document, it is difficult to give the SSSP much weight given that it has not been tested via the Planning Scheme Amendment process. On this basis we consider that this document has no statutory weight. This is confirmed upon review of recent decisions on development applications within the SSSP area.

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5.3 Commercial 2 Zone

The majority of the subject site is contained within the Commercial 2 Zone (C2Z). The purpose of the C2Z is to:

To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planing policies.

To encourage commercial areas for offices, appropriate manufacturing and industries, bulky goods retailing, other retail uses, and associated business and commercial services.

To ensure that uses do not affect the safety and amenity of adjacent, more sensitive uses.

Pursuant to Clause 34.02-4, a permit is required to construct a building or carry out works. We note a permit is not required for use of the land as a food and drink premises as only one of the tenancies that are noted as being less than 100 sqm (therefore are potential food and drink premises) will used for this purpose.

Figure 43 – Zoning Map

5.4 General Residential Zone (Schedule 2)

The rear portion of the land is contained within the General Residential Zone (GRZ). The purpose of the GRZ is to:

To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies.

To encourage development that respects the neighbourhood character of the area.

To encourage a diversity of housing types and housing growth particularly in locations offering good access to services and transport.

To allow educational, recreational, religious, community and a limited range of other non-residential uses to serve local community needs in appropriate locations.

Pursuant to Clause 32.08-2, a permit is required to use the land for the purpose of a childcare centre. In addition, pursuant to Clause 32.08-8, a permit is required to construct a building or construct or carry out works associated with a Section 2 use.

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5.5 Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 2 (DDO2)

The purpose of DDO2 includes:

To recognise the importance of main roads to the image of the City.

To retain existing streetscapes and places of cultural heritage significance and encourage retention of historic buildings and features which contribute to their identity.

To reinforce and enhance the distinctive heritage qualities of main roads and boulevards.

To recognise and reinforce the pattern of development and the character of the street, including traditional lot width, in building design.

To encourage high quality contemporary architecture.

To encourage urban design that provides for a high level of community safety and comfort.

To limit visual clutter.

To maintain and where needed, create, a high level of amenity to adjacent residential uses through the design, height and form of proposed development.

Pursuant to Clause 43.02-2 a permit is required for buildings and works.

5.6 Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 5 (DDO5)

The purpose of DDO5 includes:

City Link Exhaust Stack Environs (DDO5)

To ensure that the development of land around the City Link exhaust stack is not adversely affected by the operation of the stack.

To ensure that development of land around the City Link exhaust stack does not adversely affect the operation of the stack.

To ensure that the relevant authorities are informed of development within close proximity of the City Link exhaust stack and to facilitate comment by those authorities on any specific requirements relating to the design and built form of new development in the area which might be desirable having regard to the proximity of the stack.

Pursuant to Clause 2.0 of DDO5, a permit is not required to construct a building or carry out works. Although, pursuant to Clause 4.0 of DDO5, an application must be referred to the bodies specified in Clause 66.06, being the Roads Corporation, Transurban city Link Limited and the Environment Protection Agency.

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5.7 City Link Project Overlay (CLPO)

The purpose of the CLPO includes:

To implement the State Planning Policy Framework and the Local Planning Policy Framework, including the Municipal Strategic Statement and local planning policies.

To ensure the efficient construction, operation and maintenance of the Melbourne City Link Project, the Exhibition Street Extension Project and CityLink Tulla Widening Project.

To ensure that the display of a Business identification sign on land no longer required for the Melbourne City Link Project or the Exhibition Street Extension Project is limited to a level that does not compete with the display of signs shown on the plan titled "Melbourne City Link Project - Advertising Sign Locations November 2003".

This proposal does not trigger any permit requirements pursuant to Clause 45.07-1, 45.07-2, 45.07-3 and 45.07-4 of the CLPO. However, pursuant to Clause 45.07-6, an application must be referred to the Roads Corporation.

5.8 Particular Provisions

The following Particular Provisions are relevant to the proposal:

Clause 52.06 (Car Parking)

Clause 52.29 (Land Adjacent to a Road Zone, Category 1)

Clause 52.34 (Bicycle Facilities)

Clause 65 (Decision Guidelines)

A permit is required pursuant to Clause 52.06 and Clause 52.29.

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6 Planning Considerations

6.1 Overview

The proposal constitutes an application for a planning permit to enable buildings and works associated with three separate buildings stitched together by a common ground floor plane and separate basements. The buildings feature restricted retail tenancies (no permit required), commercial office space (no permit required) and a childcare centre (permit required) and are proposed on a strategically located site within the Richmond and Cremorne employment precinct.

It is our assessment that the proposal demonstrates an appropriate outcome in this case. In coming to this conclusion we have considered the following key questions:

Does the proposal demonstrate an appropriate outcome considering the strategic planning drivers for commercial office and a childcare centre in this location?

Does the design response demonstrate a high quality built form outcome?

Will the proposal contribute positively to the public realm?

Will the development provide for good levels of amenity for future occupants of the building?

Will the development contribute positively to the traffic and transport needs and ambitions of Cremorne, the City of Yarra and the wider Melbourne Metropolis?

Figure 44 – Proposed Development as viewed from the east

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6.2 Strategic Planning Drivers

The demographic changes facing Melbourne are significant. Between 2015 and 2051 Melbourne’s population is expected to grow from 4.5 million to almost 8 million. According to projections, an increase of that magnitude will require another 1.6 million dwellings and 1.5 million jobs, a requirement which will naturally lead to significant change across the Melbourne metropolis.

From an economic perspective, Melbourne is well placed to respond to these needs. The city has a highly skilled workforce with strong international business, education, research and cultural connections. These local attributes ensure that Melbourne has the people and potential to further develop existing knowledge based and service industries that will drive economic growth in the 21

st century.

To facilitate economic growth, Melbourne needs to take advantage of land is has available for renewal in the city and suburbs. Increasing the number of and range of employment opportunities closer to where people live is critical to a healthy, sustainable, productive and competitive city.

As discussed by the Planning Panel in Melbourne Planning Scheme Amendment C270, office tenants have been seeking larger, more flexible floorplates to reduce costs and increase employee densities. This demand has generally been provided for within areas such as Docklands, but as this capacity becomes exhausted, it will be incumbent upon other suburban employment clusters such as Richmond / Cremorne to ‘pick up the slack’ and provide for this need.

The City of Yarra has been undergoing change in the structure of employment with growth predominantly being in the professional services sector. Richmond / Cremorne has historically been an important employment precinct serving inner Melbourne. This role is still recognised throughout the Yarra Planning Scheme in the following ways:

Direction 1.2 of Plan Melbourne seeks to improve access to jobs across Melbourne and closer to where people live. Specifically, the metropolitan strategy identifies that the development of metropolitan activity centres are critical to providing communities with good access to a range of services (including employment).

The overarching aim of the Commercial 2 Zone is to accommodate larger scale commercial developments and it must be understood that within this zone, dwellings are a section 3 use, thus they are a prohibited use.

Clause 21.02 acknowledges that the majority of Yarra’s population is of working age with at least 40% being professionals. In addition, Clause 22.02 states that Yarra is becoming a location with an increased focus for employment, particularly in finance, property and business services. Therefore, this application’s aim to increase the employment space meets the changing needs of the municipality as outlined in Clause 21.02. This also represents the SSSP which aims to “consolidate commercial uses in the precinct”.

Clause 21.03 aims to increase opportunities for employment whilst also ensuring that land uses respond positively to the complex mix of characteristics and activities in Yarra’s inner-city core.

It is also stated in Clause 21.04-3 that “within Yarra the volume of commercial and associated uses is so significant that they form clusters of interrelated activity”. This resonates well with Cremorne, which has developed a strong cluster of commercial and office employment, particularly for the service industry. This further supports the proposal as it aims to consolidate Richmond as a highly-skilled employment hub.

Clause 21.06 supports an increase in employment development in Richmond due to the proximity of a range of public transport options which provide excellent access for City of Yarra residents and those who reside elsewhere in Melbourne.

Clause 21.08 states that Richmond has an eclectic mix of land uses, including commercial, industrial and residential land. The area’s character has contributed to this mix; therefore, this commercial proposal (which features a child care component) can only enhance this character, like other proposals are doing across Richmond.

It must be noted that the site is currently completely covered by impervious surfaces and does not benefit from sophisticated modern environmentally friendly technologies. The proposal will introduce landscaped areas to provide planting (including indigenous species) and will incorporate and solar generated energy increasing biodiversity values. Therefore, the urban ecology goals within Clause 22.17 will be advanced by the development.

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Considering the above we note the following matters with respect to the subject proposal:

Location – As discussed previously, the subject site enjoys strong access to a range of services and amenities including shops, cafes and restaurants (including the Swan Street Activity Centre) as well as boasting access to a range of transport options including trains, trams, buses and cycle routes.

Figure 45 - Map of Cremorne and surrounds

Zoning - The site’s location within the C2Z is also paramount as the primary goals of the C2Z are to accommodate land-uses such as commercial offices, with residential dwellings becoming redundant due to prohibition.

Need – The proposed development provides an opportunity to expand the potential of Richmond / Cremorne as an employment hub while meeting the current strong demand for commercial floor space and advancing the overarching planning objectives to “consolidate commercial uses in the precinct”, as stated in the SSSP. Richmond / Cremorne is continuing to develop and establish an employment precinct, with a number of high profile companies recently occupying to the area including Seek, Tesla, REA Group, Carsales.com. NAB, Impact Innovations and Kane. Therefore, this proposal responds to the market demand for additional high amenity floor space located in well serviced inner city employment precincts.

Employment – With a total of approximately 14,500 sqm of leasable office space, there is the potential to see a significant increase in Richmond’s employment capacity with employees benefitting from working in a building with high levels of amenity. The proposal will further reinforce the precinct as a major employment generator and will benefit the local economy significantly through retail expenditure generated by office workers and visitors.

Integrated Child care – The proposed child care centre provides a number of benefits for the local community and those employed within the proposed commercial office buildings. Research into similar developments which feature significant commercial office and child care components suggests the synergy between the two land uses can result in the following benefits:

- Improved ability to attract high quality employees when recruiting

- Reduced absenteeism and tardiness

- Higher levels of morale and company loyalty

- Lower staff turnover and a higher retention rates

- Better return to work rates after parental leave

- Increased productivity

- An enhancement in the company's reputation and perception in the wider community

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The appropriates of the site for child care is demonstrated by the level of compliance with the Clause 22.01 specifically:

- The subject site is currently used for non-residential purposes and is located within a mixed use area

- The site has direct access to a road within a Road Zone (Church Street)

- All parking is provided on-site within a separate and secure basement

- The proposed child care building is designed in a manner that responds to the residential character / grain of Brighton Street

- The proposed child care building is designed / sited in a manner that will not result in unreasonable off-site amenity impacts (this is designed in further detail later within this report)

- The proposed operating hours (7am to 7pm) generally align with the policy aspirations of Clause 22.01 (8am to 8pm). Due to the nature of the site and surrounds and the integrated nature of the development, an additional opening hour is considered appropriate in this instance

- The proposed child care features an integrated landscape responds which provides greenery and “softens” the built form associated with the child care centre

Quality Architecture – The proposal includes architectural elements that aim to soften the bulk of the development, particularly when perceived from the north, and west such as the use of a distinctive concrete podium and the use of components framed by black metal on the facades of Buildings A and B.

The proposed podium fronting Church Street features a 5 storey scale with a central recess to identify and celebrate the main pedestrian entrance to the building. The materiality of the podium references a number of unique and local examples of Federation architecture located within the local context such as the Church Street Bridge which features a heavy and elegant concrete structure, the base and foundation connecting Richmond to South Yarra.

Above the podium, charcoal metal framing has been used on the facades of the proposed office buildings to create three distinct bands proportionate to the building’s industrial scale context. This “heaviness” of this treatment reduces as the height of the building increases creating a “lightness” at the top of the buildings A and B. This approach minimises the visual bulk of the development as it breaks down the perception of individual building levels, and creates modular elements which are reminiscent of the historical warehouse character of Richmond / Cremorne and the City of Yarra as a whole.

Figure 46 - Quality architecture is evident with the Church Street podium treatment and western façade composition

Urban Ecology – The proposal provides a marked increase in the site and surrounding area’s urban ecology through planting initiatives including a landscaped ground floor plane and raised terraces. The ground floor garden beds are shaped and positioned around the key desire lines and functional arrangement of the pedestrian entrances, and central courtyard. The garden beds feature soil volumes that support tree growth that will increase the green and permeable surface of Richmond.

ESD – with the potential to achieve a 5-star Green Star, the proposal achieves high levels of sustainability with regards to water and energy usage, stormwater, transport, waste and urban ecology.

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A Campus of Buildings – The proposal has been designed to have regard to the site’s location within Richmond /

Cremorne where historically many factories were treated as small towns featuring work areas, outdoor spaces and leisure

spaces. In contrast the proposal features three separate buildings which vary in scale and architectural treatment

depending on their contextual attributes stitched together by a ground floor plane that houses separate tenancies,

communal amenities, courtyard spaces and shared work facilities.

Transition of Urban Fabric – The proposal features buildings that reduce in height from the highly urbanised environment of Church Street towards Brighton Street which features a more residential, albeit varied streetscape. The proposed child care building (Building C) has been designed with a different architectural approach in terms of massing and façade composition when compared to Buildings A and B. More specifically, the building features separate facade components which reference the domestic proportions and “grain” of Brighton Street.

Overall, it is considered that the proposal is consistent with the planning policy goals for Richmond which seeks to; above all, increase the employment capacity of Church Street / Richmond in order to support an “increase in the number and diversity of local employment opportunities”. This demonstrates that the proposal is consistent with the strategic drivers in the Yarra Planning Scheme.

The next matter that requires further consideration is how the proposal responds to the built form fabric of Richmond.

6.3 Built Form

Upon review of the Yarra Planning Scheme, we note that there are a number of planning aspirations that emerge for the site, these are:

Density/Activation – The need to “retain, enhance and extend Yarra’s fine grain street pattern” (Clause 21.05) whilst also improving the safety of the public realm through appropriate street activation (clause 22.07).

Architecture and Place - The need to “reinforce the existing urban framework of Yarra” (Clause 21.05) whilst increasing “the number and diversity of local employment opportunities”.

Scale – The need to “retain Yarra’s identity as a low-rise urban form with pockets of higher development” (Clause 21.05).

Interfaces – The need to protect “Yarra’s diverse land use mix and built form, reducing conflict between commercial, industrial and residential activities and supporting appropriate industrial and commercial activity” (Clause 22.05) and to “reduce potential amenity conflicts between residential and other uses” (Clause 21.04).

We consider that the proposal responds well to these aspirations as follows.

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Density/Activation 6.3.1

The proposal demonstrates an opportunity to densify a site used for non-residential purposes, providing for a more efficient use of land that will generate additional employment capacity that will undoubtedly have positive economic and social flow-on effects.

The design increases the permeability of the site and will result in the activation of Church Street, Shamrock Street and Brighton Street. The proposal features a network of courtyards and terraces which are accessible from each of the surrounding streets. Each frontage of the proposal features a prominent and high amenity pedestrian entrance which provides convenient and safe access through the site along logical desire lines.

Pedestrian safety along Shamrock Street has been significantly improved under the proposed conditions due to the activation and passive surveillance provided by the proposed development noting the wide opening along the northern façade which provides direct access to the large, central landscaped courtyard. Whilst it is noted that vehicle access and loading is provided via Shamrock Street, it is proposed to widen street where these activities occur in order to ensure the function / safety of the street is not compromised.

Figure 47 – Improved Shamrock Street interface under the proposed conditions

With the exception of a small fire booster located along the Church Street frontage of the building, and a plant room located along Brighton Street, all proposed services / back of house type elements of the development are located along the Shamrock Street frontage of the site. The result of this is a continuously activated façade that wraps around the building along each street frontage providing all streets with a level of activation and passive surveillance not previously enjoyed.

The inclusion of a large restricted retail premises provides the potential to sell bulky items such as furniture.

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The proposed ground floor plane features a network of courtyards, terraces and outdoor spaces. These well connected and distributed spaces are accessible from all street frontages and facilitate activation and permeability throughout the site.

Figure 48 – Proposed central courtyard

The series of open spaces at ground floor level are anchored / activated internally by smaller tenancies in key locations. These tenancies will provide a variety of offerings for the future employees within the commercial office buildings, whilst contributing to the activity / vitality of the communal spaces.

The central pedestrian entrance from Church Street provides access to a generous ground floor lobby (with void space above) which provides staff, clients and visitors a high amenity access to the working heart of the building through its materiality, planting and use of wayfinding graphics.

Figure 49 – Proposed lobby space (with void above)

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Architecture and Place 6.3.2

The proposal recognises and enhances Yarra’s historic built form through a campus style design response which creates a transition across the site from a height, scale and architectural design perspective. The development has been designed to feature varied building massing which has been derived from an analysis of the site’s interfaces and offsite amenity / shadowing considerations. This results in a development which features three separate buildings including:

- Building A – This building features an overall height of 14 storeys, which erodes as the building extends towards the east in order to increase solar access, articulation and to assist with a built form transition in this direction.

- Building B – This building is positioned centrally on the site, and features an overall height of 8 storeys along its northern edge which “steps” towards the southern interface in order to maintain the amenity of the dwellings located to the south east.

- Building C – orientates east towards Brighton Street and features a lesser scale that responds to the character of Brighton Street.

This combination of buildings creates a dramatic transition of scale across the site from the heavily industrial / robust character of Church Street to the residential nature of Brighton Street. In addition, the combination of buildings that are proposed breaks the mass of the development creating “breathing room”, in addition to providing opportunities for a series of linkages and internal pathways which results in a highly permeable ground floor plane.

Figure 50 – Proposed massing strategy across the site

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The proposal features architectural elements derived from the historical land use and architectural legacy of the area (therefore responding positively to Clause 21.03 and 21.05 which calls for design excellence and outcomes which contribute positively to the existing urban fabric) including:

- A podium/tower approach to Church Street featuring a concreate base/street wall which directly responds to the local industrial aesthetic.

- The upper levels of Buildings A and B are predominately glazed and feature black metal cladding to create bands across the building blurring the perception of each level of commercial office whilst maintaining a material palette that references the former industrial land use of the site

- Building C features an entirely different architectural language due to the condition of Brighton Street which shifts dramatically in character when compared to Church Street. In response, the proposal breaks the mass and scale of the building into a series of smaller elements to create “grain” which is complemented by multiple areas of landscaping.

The overall master planning of the proposed (in terms of scale and architectural design) ensures the development responds to the context of the site and respects the scale, form and character of the surrounding urban area as encouraged by Clause 22.10-2.

As viewed from the north along vantage points along Church Street, the building features a lightweight façade which utilises thin and elegant profiles to create a fine language. The combination of materials creates visual interest and a “depth” to the façade, which sits comfortably above the prominent concrete/red brick podium.

The proposal has a consistent two storey street wall along Shamrock Street to the north which features the materiality akin to a traditional warehouse (black metal, bricks, thin wires and glazed inserts). The façade is broken up into elements that reflect the fine-grain rhythm of series of dwellings that occupy the northern side of the street.

Figure 51 – Shamrock Street Interface

The proposed childcare building has been designed to feature integrated landscape treatments incorporating planting and hardscape elements. The building features garden beds within the outdoor learning areas and breakout spaces, a playful sloped turf area/raised planter of feature trees on top of the car park entry and a deep soil zone providing opportunities for canopy trees which provide a landscape buffer to the residential properties to the north. These features combined with a residential architectural treatment will ensure that the overall development integrates with the Brighton Street streetscape.

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Scale 6.3.3

Whilst the proposal will clearly result in positive social and economic benefits through the delivery of additional employment generating and community orientated land uses in a location that has excellent accessibility to public transports and a range of services, the overall scale of the building must be analysed with regard to the site’s context.

The subject site is located on a north-south spine (Church Street) within the heart of Richmond/ Cremorne. These suburbs feature a robust and varied built form character reminiscent of the area’s industrial part. In terms of scale, these suburbs generally feature a medium-rise urban form, punctuated by pockets of higher development / larger buildings (some landmark examples are illustrated below).

Figure 52 – Richmond / Cremorne Landmarks

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From a review of the local planning policy framework, it is implicit that there are circumstances where tall buildings can be considered and permitted if acceptable. To assist with the assessment of these developments, Clause 22.05-2 provides a list of ‘benefits’ that can justify a high scale building, which includes:

Significant upper level setbacks

Architectural design excellence

Best practice environmental sustainability objectives in design and construction

High quality restoration and adaptive re-use of heritage buildings

Positive contribution to the enhancement of the public domain

Provision of affordable housing.

The most significant element of this proposed is the proposed 14 storey commercial office building (Building A) fronting Church Street. It is submitted that this aspect of the development, and the balance of the proposal, performs exceptionally when benchmarked against these benefits for the following reasons:

The size of the subject site provides opportunities for each of the proposed buildings to be setback from the property boundaries. With the exception of the lift core (which is finished with a blank boundary wall along its southern edge) each building is setback a minimum of 5m from the northern and southern property boundaries. To ensure offsite overshadowing impacts are appropriate, Buildings B and C adopt much larger southern setbacks which increase to approximately 16m at the buildings’ upper levels.

As illustrated within the comprehensive architectural package prepared by Architectus, the proposal’s design has been structured around three key design drivers – Placemaking, Place and Context, and Transition of Urban Fabric. It is considered that the proposal reflects and celebrates the historical legacy of the area, and will create a campus of buildings that respond to the local area through differing architectural treatments and a transition in scale.

The proposal’s design has included considerations of sustainability from the beginning of the design process. The enclosed report prepared by Cundall illustrates that the development has the design potential to achieve a 5-Star Green Star performance rating, a rating which illustrates Australian excellence.

The subject site is not located within the Heritage Overlay, nor is it currently improved by buildings which exhibit heritage significance. Nevertheless, the proposal has been designed to reference the area’s former industrial landuse / built form character through the use of a material palette which includes concrete, brick, black metal, fine wires and strong horizontal and vertical forms.

The proposal will result in a significant improvement to the amenity on and off the site from a public realm perspective. As demonstrated within the architectural and landscape package prepared by Architectus and Mala Studio, the proposal features a highly permeable ground floor plane that contains a series of generously proportioned lobby and courtyard spaces that are anchored by smaller tenancies in key locations. As a result of the pedestrian activity on and around the site, in addition to the passive surveillance opportunities provide by the development, the amenity and safety of the public realm around the site will be dramatically improved under the proposed conditions.

Due to the weight of planning policy that encourages non-residential development in this location, it is not considered appropriate for this development to contain an affordable housing component (in any event residential land uses are prohibited within the Commercial 2 Zone).

In addition to the above reasons, we note the proposal will not result in inappropriate offsite amenity impacts on any public or private land (this will be explored further in the next section of this report). Ultimately, it is therefore submitted that the proposal (in terms of its overall scale) is appropriate for the subject site and its context.

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Interfaces 6.3.4

The subject site features immediate abuttals with three properties (16 Brighton Street to the north-east, and 475 Church Street and 28 Brighton Street to the south). The proposal’s massing has been sculpted to create three separate buildings which respond to the site’s immediate interfaces, and to ensure a high level of internal amenity is provided for the future occupants of the development.

Figure 53 – Proposed massing strategy

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North-east

16 Brighton Street is located to the north-east of the subject site. The land is currently improved with a single storey dwelling and benefits from an approval (Planning Permit No. PLN11/0673) for four attached townhouses. Plans that comply with the requirements of this permit were recently endorsed (25/01/18).

The proposal has been designed to respond to this approval through the following means:

The development features a prominent 5 storey street wall along Church Street which reduces in height along Shamrock Street to a height of two storeys. At this height, the proposed street wall features a similar height to a traditional brick warehouse (which exists under the current conditions) and contributes to a built form transition towards the north and north-east.

Building B features an immediate abuttal with the north-south extent of the common boundary with 16 Brighton Street. This is considered an appropriate response as the approved development features a three storey blank boundary wall along its western edge which would be exposed if an alternative response was proposed.

The approved townhouses are designed in a vertical living arrangement and feature their primary kitchen / living areas and associated balconies at first floor level. Whilst it is noted that Townhouse 2 and 3 feature balconies along their southern edge at first floor level, it is considered that these are secondary areas of open space considering that north facing balconies are provided at the same level.

The proposed childcare building is setback a minimum of 4.5m from the southern boundary of 16 Brighton Street. Within this setback the proposal features a heavily landscaped pedestrian entrance which provides building separation and protects the amenity of the secondary, south-facing areas of private open space associated with Townhouse 2 and 3.

Figure 54 – Proposed landscape buffer

At levels 3 (and above) the proposed childcare building maintains a 4.5m setback from the southern boundary of 16 Brighton Street which exceeds the 4.265m setback provided by the adjacent townhouses.

Noting the orientation of the proposed townhouses, the collective building separation and the proposed landscaping buffer, it is submitted that the proposed development will not result in unreasonable off-site amenity detriment in this direction.

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South

28 Brighton Street is located to the south of the subject site and is improved with a single storey dwelling that features an area of secluded private open space within its rear setback. The proposed development has been designed in a manner that protects the amenity of this dwelling, which is illustrated through the following means:

At ground floor level, the proposed development features a minimum setback of 3.95m (to Building B) and 8.54m (to Building C). Land located along the southern edge of Building C is used as a vehicle access point and landscaped outdoor play space (however this is predominately located against a blank boundary wall associated with the dwelling to the south).

The adjacent dwelling is orientated on an east-west axis, and as a result, features primary and secondary orientations away from the subject site.

The upper levels of Buildings B and C erode away from the southern boundary in order prevent unreasonable overshadowing impacts to the area of secluded private open space located within the rear setback of the abutting property.

The upper levels of Buildings B and C are sufficient setback to ensure that unreasonable overlooking will not occur.

In addition to 28 Brighton Street, it is noted that there is a series of townhouses that feature balconies along their northern edge located to the rear of 32 – 36 Brighton Street. Under the proposed conditions, the amenity of these spaces is not unreasonable impacted noting that they will continue to benefit from solar direct solar access during the morning hours as illustrated below.

Figure 55 – Midday shadow impacts

To the south of the subject site fronting Church Street is 475 Church Street, a property currently improved with a single level showroom / warehouse. Given the physical and locational attributes of the property, it is considered that the property presents a significant opportunity for redevelopment. The proposal responds appropriately to this interface through the following means:

Fronting Church Street, the proposed features a five storey podium which extends to the common boundary with 475 Church Street. This is considered satisfactory as a future development would likely replicate this outcome.

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Above the podium, Building B is setback a minimum of 5m (with the exception of the lift core). Assuming a similar setback is provided on the adjacent site, an appropriate built form separation will be achieved (therefore maintaining acceptable levels of daylight access, outlook and opportunities for ventilation).

Whilst the central lift core extends to the southern boundary, it presents to the common boundary as a blank boundary wall, an outcome which will not impact the ability of the adjacent property to redevelop in an unreasonable manner.

Figure 56 – Proposed Development as viewed from the east

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6.4 Internal Amenity

As discussed by the submitted Sustainability Management Plan, the proposal will meet high levels of environmental sustainability, which will be directly enjoyed by the future tenants and employees. The building will achieve high levels of comfort through the following methods:

High floor to ceiling heights to improve daylight distribution.

Provision of multiple landscaped areas of open space which can be enjoyed by tenants and employees, promoting outdoor activity and a sense of community

Mechanical ventilation systems will be cleaned prior to installation, designed for ease of maintenance and have fresh air intakes located away from pollutants.

Air freshness will be maintained through CO2 control of the outside air system.

All sources of pollutants (car exhaust, printers, cooking) will be mechanically exhausted.

The design and treatment of internal constructions, finishes and building services will ensure that best practice acoustic standards are met, including acoustic separation between rooms.

Reduced air condition requirement through the use of efficient lighting

The floor plate and glazing design provide offices with good access to views.

High quality thermal comfort will be achieved via strategies such as solar control double glazing and perimeter insulation.

Passive design which captures solar gains from the east, north and west.

Stormwater management and reticulation to ensure high level of water efficiency.

Incorporation of solar panels on the rooftop to further boost the proposal’s environmental credentials

Figure 57 – Proposed central courtyard

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As discussed within the Sustainability Management Plan, the proposed development has the design potential to achieve a 5-Star Green Star rating (each building achieves a 60 point Green Star benchmark rating which represents Australian Excellence. Therefore, the building will provide a marked improvement of the environmental sustainability currently seen on site and in the immediate surrounding area, thus satisfying the policy aspirations at Clauses 21.07, 22.16 and 22.17.

In addition, the following aspects of the development are considered to contribute to a high level of internal amenity:

The flexibility of the floor plates also seeks to improve the working conditions of the future inhabitants, providing for flexible arrangements to meet each tenant’s needs. Additionally, these flexible floor plates will meet the needs of innovative sharing economy companies, thus boosting Yarra’s professional services economy in accordance with policy goals of Clause 21.04.

It must be noted that these floor plates can be split in multiple ways, therefore having the potential to adapt to the changing needs of future occupants/tenants.

The large windows, particularly those to the north, east and west will provide office spaces with a high level of natural lighting which will ensure that each level of commercial office is a comfortable and enjoyable place to work. In addition, the large windows will provide opportunities for unique views out of the site to the surrounding urban area, including the CBD, entertainment and sports precinct, the Yarra River and the Dandenong Ranges.

There will be a total of 236 bicycle parking spaces in addition to 24 showers and associated change and locker facilities, thus encouraging cycle use, which is a multi-faceted benefit enjoyed by the tenants, road users and the environment.

The multiple restricted retail tenancies at the ground floor provide an extra level of amenity as future tenants and employees will have access to services within their own building. This also provides added amenity for other local residents and employees.

The grand, double height lobby area adds to the building amenity by providing an added sense of space to all who use the building.

It must also be noted that this is an Architectus designed building. Architectus are renowned for their excellent design standards and attention to detail, particularly when a building’s amenity is in question. Therefore, it is safe to say that the proposal has a very high level of amenity in not only an urban planning sense, but from an architectural standpoint.

Due to the above, it is submitted that this development will achieve high levels of internal amenity through a building design that places a particular emphasis on comfort and sustainability, therefore, the proposal meets the overarching objective of Clause 22.17 (Environmentally Sustainable Development) which is that “development should achieve best practice in environmentally sustainable development”.

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6.5 Transport and Traffic

Pursuant to Clause 52.06-3, a permit is required to reduce the number of car parking spaces. This proposal seeks to provide the following allocation of car spaces within two separate basements:

Office / restricted retail tenancies - 217 basement car parks accessed via Shamrock Street

Child care component – 23 basement car parks accessed via Brighton Street

As supported by the submitted Transport Impact Assessment, it is considered that this provision of car parking is appropriate due to the following reasons:

The provision of reduced on-site car parking in favour of alternative travel modes is consistent with a number of local policies and strategies

There are some opportunities for visitors and customers to park on-street in the vicinity of the site

The restricted retail tenancies will draw a majority of these customers from walk up traffic either from the above office tenancies, the child care centre or neighbouring businesses

The site is proposed to contain bicycle parking and showers/change room facilities for both staff and visitor use

The site has excellent access to public and sustainable transport modes

Providing excessive on-site car parking would create additional traffic in the nearby road network, which is undesirable due to the narrow roads

The increase in business and activity from the proposed development is considered to provide a substantially positive impact, in regard to the economic viability of the local business economy

Furthermore, the Green Travel Plan proposes a modal split target which should be sought for the future employees of the development for trips to and from the site, as below:

Motor car as driver or passenger – 30%;

Public Transport – 4o%;

Bicycle – 15%; and

Walking – 15%.

The above figures provide strong justification for the reduction of car parking spaces and meets Yarra’s local policy at Clauses 21.02, 21.03 21.06 and 22.17 which all aim to encourage sustainable transport use.

Bicycle Parking

The proposal provides excellent bicycle facilities for tenants and employees. There will be a total of 236 bicycle parking spaces for employees and visitors supported by 24 showers and associated end of trip facilities, thus meeting the objective of encouraging sustainable modes of transport within Clause 52.34 and various local policies, including Clauses 21.02, 21.03 21.06 and 22.17. This is further supported by the Transport Impact Assessment which states the proposed bicycle facilities are deemed “appropriate and sufficient to encourage cycling as a mode of travel to the site”.

Loading and Unloading of Vehicles

Clause 52.07 aims to set aside land for loading and unloading commercial vehicles to prevent loss of amenity and adverse effect on traffic flow and road safety. To achieve this, the Clause sets out requirements to be regarding access to and the size of loading bays. As evident in the Transport Impact Assessment, the loading area meets the dimensional requirements of Clause 52.07 and is, therefore, considered acceptable.

Due to the above reasons, it is submitted that the proposals transport and traffic response is appropriate to the site and surrounding area as it encourages safety and sustainable transport use, thus responding well to local policy, particularly at Clause 21.06-5 which aims “to reduce the reliance on the private motor car”.

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7 Conclusion

It is clear in employment trends that there is an increasing demand in flexible working spaces, particularly in inner city areas. In recent years, areas such as Docklands and the surrounding central city have provided the capacity for this increased growth, however, as this capacity becomes exhausted, there comes an opportunity to accommodate this growth in other well serviced inner urban areas, including Richmond. This trend mirrors the key policy and objectives of the Yarra Planning Scheme, and as discussed within this report, we note that the proposed development will deliver an excellent outcome for the following reasons:

The development will cater for the increased demand in office space in inner Melbourne

The proposed child care will provide social services for Richmond residents in addition to future tenants within the commercial office buildings

Future tenants and employees will enjoy high levels of amenity

The proposed campus of buildings are appropriately designed from an architectural and massing perspective with regard to the built form character of Richmond

The design response provides an appropriate interface with the residential dwellings (approved and existing) to the north and south

The proposal will not unreasonably prevent the redevelopment of any adjoining properties

The building will incorporate initiatives representing strong ecological and sustainability goals and is a marked improvement of the current ecological value on-site

The development will bring an added level of street level activation, amenity and safety which is not currently enjoyed in the immediate area

The development gives back to public realm through the extra ground floor setback on Walnut Street, aiding the street level activation by providing added levels of pedestrian safety

The proposal will “function” appropriately with regard to waste management and traffic and transport matters

For the reasons outlined in this report we believe the proposal is worthy of Council support, subject to standard conditions.

Human Habitats Pty Ltd

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