Council to proceed with Errol St lane closures for new green space

The City of Melbourne will move forward with a plan to close two lanes off Errol St to create new open space.

The closures will enable the addition of 1120 square metres of green space between Purcell and Queensberry streets, removing around eight unmetered car parks.

At the June 3 Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting, Lord Mayor Nick Reece described Errol St as a “hidden gem”, adding that the proposed expansion of public space would become one of Melbourne’s most popular green squares.

“It’s one of the most beautiful streetscapes in all of Melbourne, and for many years, we’ve wondered why it hasn’t been as successful as some of the other popular inner-city high streets. I believe this could be the project that changes that,” he said.

Community consultation was undertaken to assess whether the council should proceed with a partial road closure between Queensberry and Bendigo streets, a full closure between Queensberry and Purcell streets, or make no changes.

The City of Melbourne received just under 1200 responses to its community engagement process, with 65 per cent in favour of a full road closure.

However, among business owners who responded, 54 per cent preferred no change, while only 11 per cent supported partial closure – a key issue raised by opponents of the full closure.

Cr Andrew Rowse was critical of the consultation process, noting that many shop owners had reported not being properly engaged.

He also highlighted that, based on the data collected, only 53 per cent of those in favour of the road closure were based on Errol St, with much of the support coming from people who do not live nearby.

The council’s portfolio lead for city safety and cleaning Cr Rafael Camillo suggested that more direct consultation with affected businesses would have resulted in a more thorough process.

Cr Camillo, along with Cr Gladys Liu and Cr Philip Le Liu, voted against the closure of the two lanes, while Cr Rowse abstained. All other councillors voted in favour of the proposal.

Several business owners also voiced their views on the “expanded” open space at the June 3 FMC meeting.

Liz Beech, founder and head distiller at Here’s Looking at You, Kid, supported the proposal, saying the new green space would enhance an already well-used nature strip enjoyed by many of her customers.

However, not all business owners agreed. Local trader and resident Mellisa Mills expressed concern about traffic issues once the West Gate Tunnel opened.

The council report tabled at the meeting stated that "sufficient parking is available nearby, and surrounding streets could absorb any redistributed traffic. The analysis considered both current and projected traffic volumes post–West Gate Tunnel project.”

Ms Mills, however, said she found that hard to believe and raised ongoing concerns about the traffic impacts of the tunnel.

Cr Rowse echoed these concerns, stating that "the fact that we are now receiving state government funding to help manage expected increases in traffic flow and the unknowns associated with the West Gate Tunnel arriving in North Melbourne certainly raises some big concerns.”

Despite the differing views, the council will proceed with its plan for Errol St, with the proposed road discontinuances and draft designs to be voted on at a future meeting.

Due to safety concerns, Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) principles will be applied when developing the design. •