Whittlesea Planning Scheme

SCHEDULE 13 TO THE DEVELOPMENT PLAN OVERLAY

Shown on the Planning Scheme Map as DP013

EPPINGPLAZA SHOPPING CENTRE

Site Description

The development site is generally bounded by Cooper Street to the north, High Street to the east, the NorthernHospital to the west and Childs Road to the south, Epping.

1.0Requirements before a permit is granted

The Responsible Authority may grant a permit for subdivision, use, or development prior to approval of a development plan, provided that the Responsible Authority is satisfied that the subdivision, use, or development will not prejudice the future use or development of the land for the purpose of the zone, or any other aspect of the Municipal Strategic Statement.

2.0Requirements for Development Plan

2.1Land Use

The development plan may provide for a range of land uses consistent with the regional activity centre role of EppingPlaza and its designation as a principal activity centre and transit city in the Melbourne 2030 strategy.

The consolidation of the following uses is consistent with the Municipal Strategic Statement objectives and policies:

  • major shops such as large supermarkets, discount departments stores and department stores
  • restricted retail uses such as major homewares outlets, and auto related outlets
  • food and drink premises including convenience restaurants, hotel, take away food premises
  • offices including banks, medical centre, real estate and travel outlets
  • place of assembly including cinemas, nightclub, function centre
  • service stations
  • community uses.

2.2Development Plan Requirements

The development plan should facilitate the orderly on-going process of alterations and staged additions to the centre, reflecting its dynamic role in responding to the increased scale and diversity of its market catchment areas.

All development should be generally in accordance with the approved development plan.

Access arrangements - Vehicles

Vehicle access shall be distributed at several points around the site perimeter to adjacent roads.

The development plan should facilitate access by commercial, service and emergency vehicles as directly as possible to building access points.

If access to the land for shopping centre patrons is required by the owner of the land from Childs Road prior to its construction, the owner of the land must construct Childs Road from High Street to the proposed southerly entrance of the EppingPlaza land to the satisfaction of the Whittlesea City Council. In that event, the owner of the land is responsible for funding any necessary land acquisition and the cost of a duplicated road cross section.

A proportion of the costs incurred by the owner of the land in constructing Childs Road may be reimbursed from the development contributions plan prepared by Council for the Cooper Street Development Plan Area.

In the absence of a specific request by the owner of the land to obtain access to Childs Road in advance of its timely construction it is acknowledged that the liability for the construction of the road will be apportioned over the Cooper Street Development Plan Area. The method of apportionment, including the amount to be contributed by the owner of the land, will be determined by the Development Contributions Plan prepared for the Cooper Street Development Plan Area.

Access arrangements - Pedestrians

The development should enable easy and direct access from car parking areas to centre entry points.

Location, scale and design of car parking areas should facilitate safety and convenience for users.

Access arrangements – Public Transport

The layout of the site should include consideration for good public transport linkages, and for good access between set down areas and centre entry points.

The development plan must include the following:

  • a plan of the site showing location of buildings, and ancillary areas such as car parking, landscaping buffers, key vehicle and pedestrian travel paths, loading docks, and major access points.
  • a building envelope drawing showing three dimensional envelopes into which buildings can be accommodated, not including architectural features, communications equipment and the like.
  • a staging plan showing proposed staging of building to accommodate approved additional floor area, car park construction and accompanying access points, and landscaping implementation.
  • a report amplifying any of the above matters and describing how the development plan responds to the design objectives in 1.3 following.

Prior to endorsement by the Responsible Authority, the development plan must be approved and endorsed by the Minister for Transport.

In considering approval of the development plan the Minster for Transport must be satisfied that the development plan includes:

  • an alignment of the Epping North rail line through the land, being generally in accordance with the alignment proposed by the Department of Infrastructure and shown on plan “Parsons Brinckerhoff plan Job No. 2126006C Drawing No.SK9 Rev C, Epping Rail Extension dated 18 February 2003”.
  • provision for a reservation of 30 (thirty) metres width other than at the station site generally in accordance with the plan referenced above, but in any case the northern end of the station platform(s) will be no further than 100 metres from the southern edge of the Cooper Street road reservation.
  • a reservation width of 90 (ninety) metres at the station site over a length of 170 metres (one hundred and seventy) metres and the reservation shall merge uniformly from the 30 metres width to the 90 metre width over a distance of 170 metres (one hundred and seventy metres) in each direction. This reservation will allow for the parking of 150 cars for rail commuters
  • provision for clear height of a minimum of 30 (thirty) metres to be available over the entire reservation.
  • provision for a rail and road grade separation at Cooper Street.
  • provision for adequate interchange facilities between bus and rail public transport operations.

In relation to the inter-relationship of the development plan and the proposed rail line, the following principle is acknowledged namely that the construction and operation of the rail line will allow for ground level vehicle connectivity to be provided or maintained between the EppingPlaza shopping centre and adjacent roads (including Childs Road) and the NorthernHospital.

2.3Design Objectives

The development plan should achieve the following objectives:

  • development should be contiguous where possible except for highway commercial uses on the site perimeter;
  • development should facilitate comfortable weather protected spaces, both enclosed and unenclosed being constructed;
  • development should achieve a compact layout for the centre to discourage multi-car trips for a single visit to the centre;
  • development should provide various entry/exit points related to adjacent car parking areas and public transport stops;
  • the enclosed areas of development should be expansive and facilitating a range of retail and related commercial, community, recreation and entertainment activities;
  • the site planning should enable substantial landscaping opportunities to enhance development, provide buffers to adjacent areas, and reduce large uninterrupted expanse of car parking;
  • development should maintain an active commercial frontage and interface with High Street and the Business 4 Zone on the east side of High Street.

2.4Car Parking

Car parking areas should provide for parking spaces at a minimum rate of 5.5 spaces per 100 square metres for Shop and 3.0 spaces per 100 square metres for Restricted Retail Premises. Other uses should provide parking spaces in accordance with clause 52.06.

Development Plan Overlay - Schedule 13Page 1 of 3