A controversial plan to open a funeral parlour in a Keilor residential street has been withdrawn.
Allison Monkhouse Funeral Directors last week withdrew its planning application to Brimbank council.
The company had wanted to use the former church at 36 Church Street in Keilor as a funeral parlour that would hold up to three services a week.
The council had received at least 17 objections to the planning application, while a Facebook page opposing the application had more than 200 likes. The news comes after a
Star Weekly report aired residents’ concerns about living next to a funeral parlour.
In a statement last week, Allison Monkhouse managing director Clive Monkhouse said the business decided to remove its planning application after personal attacks against the site’s owner, who lives on an adjoining property.
Mr Monkhouse said that in the past week, the church had been broken into, a neighbouring house covered in graffiti and bins upended.
“Our application was that we would be performing funeral services in a place of assembly that had been performing this function for 137 years,” Mr Monkhouse said.
“We have been astounded by the guerrilla campaign that has been waged by a small number of the local residents opposing the application on social media and on unsigned letters and fliers.”
Church Street resident Kevin Rowles said it was “great” that the plan had been withdrawn.
Charlene Macaulay
