A PROPOSAL to build an IGA on the corner of Guildford’s Swan Street and West Swan Road has received mixed responses as residents agreed there’s demand but disagreed on planning grounds.

Guildford Association president Claire Scanlan said members opposed the development on parking and heritage grounds.

“The intersection where they plan to site the IGA is already very busy and the location of several serious accidents over the past few years,” she said.

“There is the potential for queuing and delays at the roundabout, which already has a high rate of rear end crashes.

“Traffic will enter the IGA carpark from a single-entry point in Meadow Street and there will be increased traffic caused by delivery vehicles and waste collection.”

Ms Scanlan said to comply with the city’s parking policy, the proposed development required 61 car bays, but only 28 were on the plan.

“Two parking bays on Swan Street will be removed to allow service vehicles easier access to the site,” she said.

“Take into account the IGA and liquor store staff, and the number of bays on the plan seems very inadequate.

“Residents of surrounding streets are already being blocked in their own driveways due to the parking demand caused by the businesses in the area.

“It won’t take long for this supermarket carpark to fill up.”

To assess the traffic concerns, City of Swan are conducting a traffic study of the intersection with traffic counters currently in place.

“On the heritage issues, we don’t think the scale or design of this building is sympathetic to the overall streetscape of this area, or to the 1852 heritage building that is already on the site,” Ms Scanlan said.

“It’s located in probably the most historically significant part of Guildford, and we don’t want to see Guildford’s heritage being chipped away.”

Ms Scanlan said she felt the development application process was undemocratic as it was a way for developers to find loopholes in heritage considerations and get approval for developments despite residents’ concerns.

The development application report said extensive pre-lodgement consultation was undertaken to inform the preparation and design of the proposed development.

The report detailed that all consultation meetings were between the City of Swan and state heritage office, and that the heritage context had been considered in a February 12, 2024 meeting.

“The proposal involves developing an additional building to accommodate the Market Fresh IGA, whilst retaining the existing buildings where the current liquor store operates,” it said.

“The design has carefully considered the location and siting of development to ensure it respectfully integrates into the historical heritage building and complements the unique heritage character of the immediate area, whilst taking into account the operational requirements of the current liquor store tenant and the Market Fresh IGA.

“The existing liquor store, tenanted by Copper and Oak Liquor Merchants, on the subject site will remain in its current use and links together with the heritage building under one liquor licence.

“The proposed use for a Market Fresh IGA store with convenience, grocery and retail goods and offerings strongly reflects the original use and historical context of the subject site and the heritage building, being a retail and wholesale store offering varying goods during Guildford’s convict and gold rush period.”