Seabrook residents broke down in tears as they spoke of the stress caused by a BP service station backing on to their homes where a developer wants to build four fast-food restaurants.
Miro Sloup (Jasbe Petroleum) has applied for a permit for four restaurants at 144E Point Cook Road, with 6.6-metre walls just 2.5 metres from residents’ backyard fences. Plans show 17 car spaces for restaurants seating 52 people.
The restaurants would operate from 7am-11pm seven days a week, with traffic reports estimating they would draw two cars a minute during peak times.
Twenty-two objections were submitted to Hobsons Bay council, with concerns including loss of amenity, overshadowing, noise, odour, light spill, antisocial behaviour and parking and traffic issues.
Linda Watts, who spoke at a special planning committee (SPC) meeting of council on Thursday night, said four restaurants would worsen residential amenity, which was already suffering because of the service station.
“I’m suffering panic attacks,” she said. “I’ve fallen into a very nasty depression, which now I’m going to have to get medicated for. This has caused me an amazing amount of stress.”
Taxi driver Driss Azougga said the service station, where he filled up with petrol, already created hell for residents like him.
“I’ve been whacked in the face, had stones thrown at the house,” he said. “Please stop this.”
Brian Morrison said he got so little sleep because of the BP operations that he crashed his car after falling asleep at the wheel.
The SPC panel, comprising councillors Peter Hemphill, Carl Marsich and Paul Morgan, rejected the application – and went even further.
They ordered immediate action to enforce current permit conditions in relation to the service station and voted to write to BP expressing concerns raised by residents.
The panel also resolved to investigate traffic management at the service station.
Acting for the developer, Nicola McGowan said an appeal against the council’s refusal would be lodged at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.
Asked if she was moved by residents’ experiences, Ms McGowan said their concerns weren’t about what was proposed.
“Many of their concerns are in relation to what is already happening on the site and that is not a part of this planning permit application,” she said.
