Bridge Road East North is located on the northern side of Bridge Road between Gardner Street and River Street. Properties in the precinct have frontages to both Bridge Road and Palmer Street. The precinct abuts a residential neighbourhood north of Palmer Street, east of Burnley Street and industrial uses, west of Burnley Street.
The precinct also includes a mix of shops, cafes and restaurants, offices, large format retail stores, service industry and new apartment buildings. The prominent Royal Oak Hotel marks the centre of this precinct.
Through draft Amendment C291yara, Yarra City Council is proposing to apply a new Design and Development Overlay - Schedule 45 (DDO45) to Bridge Road East North.
DDO45 would replace an interim DDO, DDO21, which applies to this precinct and the rest of Bridge Road.
Built form and design requirements in the DDO relate to front setbacks, street wall height, setbacks for upper levels, building height and transition of potential development towards residential properties at the rear. The DDO also includes requirements and guidelines regarding overshadowing, facade design, transport and access and others.
The amendment also includes new policy which describes the proposed future character of Bridge Road East North (see Clause 21.11 – Local Areas).
What is this Design and Development Overlay trying to achieve?
Draft Design and Development Overlay – Schedule 45 (DDO45) supports new well designed mid-rise development up to 8 storeys on Bridge Road and Palmer Street. This precinct is identified as a preferred location for housing and employment growth within the Bridge Road Activity Centre.
As there is no defining heritage streetscape, a new character would be created. The height of street wall (the height of the building on the street) could be up to 15m (4 storeys).
Taller parts of the building above 4 storeys would be pushed back by 4.5 to 6 metres.
DDO45 requires that buildings are designed with breaks between upper levels of the development to provide views to the sky from the street and an interesting skyline.
Buildings should present attractive and interesting frontages to Palmer Street, particularly facing the residential neighbourhood to the north.
DDO45 also requires that new development is designed to ensure the visual prominence of the Royal Oak Hotel and other heritage buildings is retained. Development of up to 5 storeys is permitted on sites with heritage buildings with upper levels pushed back.
Development should be designed to create safe, active and attractive street frontages. It must also be designed to ensure buildings protect sunlight to important footpaths to the southern side of Bridge Road, Burnley Street and any potential future urban space at Whites Place.
It also aims to make sure new development minimises its amenity impacts on the low scale residential neighbourhoods which abut the activity centre. This includes minimising overlooking, overshadowing and visual bulk.
Further information (Exhibited Documents)
Draft DDO45 and updates to Local Policy are proposed to become part of the Yarra Planning Scheme.
See the following documents for all the details:
Draft DDO45 - Information Sheet – Provides a summary of some requirements and where they apply can be found in the DDO. They are not part of the formal amendment documentation.
Draft DDO45 - Formal amendment document and built form and design requirements for the precinct. Read the entire DDO here.
Local Policy 21.12 – Contains the Preferred Future Character Statement for the precinct and other policy.