Size and location of an amended shed development application from a Wingecarribee Shire councillor has been knocked back by his peers.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A council meeting on June 12 resulted in councillors passing two separate motions, one to compel Cr Ian Scandrett to allow inspectors on his property and one to refuse the application to modify his sheds.
The decision followed a peer review assessment completed by Goulburn Mulwaree Council. The peer review was prompted following a February 13 council meeting where councillors voted to move the matter to a neighbouring council for in independent assessment.
The original development application submitted by Cr Scandrett was approved for a shed 435 square metres in size adjacent to the southern fence boundary in the front portion of the property.
The amendment requested that the size of the shed increase to 684sqm, aligned to the northern boundary line with a 10 metre setback.
The amended application called for a increase in shed size which is 14 per cent greater than what is permitted under the Rural Lands DCP. The area is zoned as E3 Environmental Management. The maximum shed size id 600sqm.
The first motion in the June 12 council meeting related to the earthworks already carried out on Cr Scandrett's Werai property. According council minutes council staff had attempted to gain access to the property to inspect the works, but had been denied.
Wingecarribee Shire Council development manager Nick Wilton said that council staff had asked the owners four to five times for access to the property.
"The owners did state that they had a surveyors report done by a registered surveyor. It was not provided to me and no reasons were provided," he said. "I understand the peer reviewer [from Goulburn Mulwaree Council] spoke to Robert Uliana [from the neighbouring property] in relation to Cr Scandrett's submission.They were also able to get access from [Mr Uliana's] property to view the site."
However, Cr Scandrett has since told Southern Highland News that he did not deny council access to his property. "I initially declined to give [council] access to the site because they hadn't given me notice," he said.
"Contrary to what was said [in council], councillors have been on site for the shed inspection. Councillors and senior staff were on site earlier this year."
Councillors voted unanimously for the motion to issue a notice of entry and to inspect the property to ascertain compliance.
A second motion was put forward to vote on the amendment of an existing approved development application in relation to Cr Scandrett's un-built shed.
A peer review from Goulburn Mulwaree Council recommended that the amendment regarding the shed should not be approved due to its size and the location close to the boundary.
Wingecarribee Shire councillors were told that the peer reviewer had not able to gain access to the property.
However, Cr Scandrett has again refuted the claim of denied property access for the peer review assessor.
"Goulburn Mulwaree Council has never approached me or my architect in relation to accessing the site," he said.
In the council agenda for the June 12 meeting, council staff recommended that the application should be approved.
However in the February 13 council meeting, Mayor Duncan Gair said that "subject to [the application] being peer reviewed, the council accepts the recommendation of that peer review."
Cr Grahame Andrews reiterated this point in the June 12 meeting, saying "by [sending it for a peer review] we were going to respect and honour the decision of the report."
"They've come back and quite categorically they've suggested it to be refused."
Councillors agreed with the report findings and voted unanimously against the application.
Read Also: Shed plan under scrutiny