Plans for a six-day-a-week medical centre in Sunshine West will proceed despite Brimbank council rejecting the proposal.
The Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal overturned the council’s decision to reject the plan on the grounds it was inappropriate for a residential area.
Local residents had also raised concerns about traffic and car parking.
A VCAT hearing on September 9 considered applicant Bill Sakkas’s blueprint to convert a single-storey dwelling into the centre for two general practitioners, working Monday to Saturday, in Apollo Place.
Mr Sakkas argued that a limit of two practitioners and restrictions on hours of operation would minimise impacts on residents.
A traffic engineer, on behalf of Mr Sakkas, found there was a “very low level of traffic” in Apollo Place.
VCAT member Megan Carew agreed, saying: “Peak parking demand for a medical centre does not coincide with peak residential visitor demand”.
“I am satisfied that the additional traffic would not create unacceptable traffic congestion or safety concerns in Apollo Place,” she said.
“I do not consider that the proposal will result in commercial creep into the court location. While there may be some inconvenience to residents caused by the parking of one additional car, there are no demonstrated unreasonable amenity impacts. There is parking for shop customers on Fitzgerald Road that is under utilised at present that may meet the requirements.”
