By XAVIER SMERDON
A WERRIBEE family will take the developer of a 41 apartment complex to VCAT after Wyndham Council approved it to be built in a quiet court.
At the last council meeting of 2013 the four storey development in Watergum Court was given the tick of approval by five of the nine councillors present.
Councillor Marie Brittan raised an alternative motion calling for the planning application to be knocked back.
Cr Brittan argued that the building would be an overdevelopment of the site and that the shortfall of parking spaces and poor parking arrangements would create access and safety issues in the court.
Steve Lowe and his wife Kathryn, who moved into the court after building a new house directly across from where the apartments might be built late last year, were two of the objectors to the proposal.
Mr Lowe said he felt the councillors were favouring developers over residents.
“It leaves a lot of uncertainty for people out there that are thinking of buying or building a house,” Mr Lowe said.
“If they can approve 41 apartments in a court, where does that leave other people?”
Mr Lowe said he always knew something would be built on the vacant land but he thought 41 apartments was a clear overdevelopment.
“We’re extremely disappointed in the councillors and we think they took the easy way out,” he said.
“They should be standing up for residents, not just developers.”
Along with four other neighbours the Lowes have hired a private planning company to handle their appeal at VCAT.
