What Do You Want?
How Do You Get It?
Consider the following...
What you say you want:-
- A more attractive, inviting and lively town centre with bars, a brewery, restaurants, shops, great spaces and services.
- A Town Centre that gives other more successful and prosperous town centres a run for their money!! ( Like Leederville, Maylands and Bassendean)
- A better place for friends and family to socialise, play and work.
- High quality development.
- For community feedback, read this blog HERE
To get these benefits ...
- We must ensure to attract investment in the town centre (full stop).
We know what non- investment looks like. Take a walk through the town centre, both sides.
There has been CLOSE TO ZERO investment in the town centre for over 50 years. There has been ZERO investment since 2012 when mixed-residential buildings (5/6 storey) could first be built. This has obviously not been an incentive for ANY investment. The evidence is clear.
- To ensure investment, it needs to be viable.
(Read the blog on viability HERE) - Having more people living in the existing heart of the town centre, above the shops, making the town centre safer, more convenient and vibrant.
- Putting our population intensity in the town centre (King William/Whatley precinct) through increased building heights in the town centre, rather than in the surrounding suburb. The draft guidelines have lessened the building heights in this King William/Whately precinct and made the setbacks more onerous - further reducing any chance of investment.
- •Providing a mix of uses for town centre buildings.
The Evidence is Clear
Magical thinking won't attract any development - modest or otherwise.
The guidelines will protect the quality of the existing town centre ( King William/Whatley) by stipulating that :-
- that new developments will maintain the existing historic character, supporting retention of the existing rhythm of development.
- Fine grain detailing and articulation of buildings will be provided through design, detailing, materials and finishes to provide a
rich and interesting pedestrian experience. - All buildings to be designed by Registered Architects. Why is this important? Quality design is utmost, consistently supported by Future Bayswater. The key is to avoid speculative building from "non design" focused entities.
VERDICT
The Draft Design Guidelines protect the historic character, pedestrian experience and quality of design in the King William/Whatley Cres precinct
The Draft Design Guidelines DO NOT create the conditions that will provide for what you say you want: a successful, attractive town centre in the King William/Whatley Precinct.
The height restriction is essentially the same as the last 9 years which has attracted ZERO investment. The set backs are more onerous.
The proposed guidelines will fail to attract investment in the only part of the Town Centre that has a pulse.
It's vital that the Design Guidelines respond to the Design Strategy appropriately, and provide the real opportunities to attract viable investment in the Whatley/King William precinct.
The town centre has suffered enough "reports" that lead no where.
HAVE YOUR SAY!
If you seriously want a revitalised town centre
Let Development WA hear from you that...
"The Whatley/King William precinct heights and setbacks need to be reviewed
to attract quality investment immediately
to drive the renaissance of Bayswater's existing Town Centre."
DevWA comments form HERE (final date 26th August )
Why not wait until you've read all the pros and cons over the next few weeks in the blogs.
We'll provide a summary as a final piece in this series.
Metronet East Bayswater Draft Design Guidelines can be found in full HERE
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