AN amendment to include some residential along with some commercial development on a lot in Ellenbrook has been endorsed by the Western Australian Planning Commission.

The proposed amendment to Malvern Springs development plan 6 for Lot 9295 Elmridge Parkway went before the City of Swan on March 13 which also endorsed the proposal despite 167 objections to the modification.

According to the officer’s report in March the amendment sought to retain 957sqm of the 6285sqm site for commercial use and retain the existing constructed parking area with the balance of the land being redesignated for residential development at a residential density coding of R30.

This would nominally provide for eight lots with the balance of the land forming a future road between Elmridge Parkway and Wyara Link.

“The applicant is hoping that providing for a smaller commercial area will render development of the land commercially viable,’’ the officer’s report said.

“The current commercial site has proven unviable for development for more than 18 years.’’

The city said while some submissions objected to anything less than provision of a commercial centre as set out in the development plan others objected to any change whatsoever to the existing site.

Some submitters objected to any more residential development on the site raising  concerns about it being high density along with concerns regarding increased traffic, parking issues, anti-social behaviour and strain on services.

Other submitters stated a desire for either a full-scale commercial facility or for the site to stay as it is.

“Public desire to ensure retention of provision for a commercial centre on this site is addressed by this proposal – 957sqm is retained for commercial use and this amount is broadly consistent with the amount that the existing structure plan acknowledged might be realistically delivered in this location,’’ the officer’s report said.

“The park envisaged under the development plan in this location has already been delivered as Wyara Park next door to this site – the subject site was never planned to be a park.”

The report said public desire to ensure retention of the existing parking area was addressed by the proposal and the desire to avoid high density residential development of the site was also addressed as residential lots at an R30 density coding were low density.

“Public concern with increased traffic is addressed by this proposal – the eight residential lots will generate less traffic movements than what would be generated if the site was fully developed for commercial use.’’

In June 2020 the city refused an earlier application to develop the land into 21 residential lots which was followed by the WAPC refusing to grant approval for that proposal in February 2021.