North Melbourne build-to-rent project endorsed by council

The City of Melbourne has given the green light to a $180 million build-to-rent (BTR) project in North Melbourne.

The former Australian Red Cross site at 23–47 Villiers St was sold to Sentinel in 2023, which has proposed the construction of 353 apartments across two buildings of 11 to 12 storeys.

The site is a large L-shaped block with four street frontages. As part of the BTR project, three per cent of the apartments will be allocated to affordable housing.

Deputy Lord Mayor and head of the council’s planning portfolio Roshena Campbell expressed her support for the project, stating that appropriate concessions had been made following community engagement.

According to a report tabled at the Future Melbourne Committee (FMC) meeting on August 5, concerns regarding the proposed height and massing were consistently raised throughout the planning process.

The Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) advised that it had received 51 objections while preparing the planning report, with an additional two objections lodged directly with the council.

As previously reported by North West City News, residents have argued that the development’s scale is disproportionate, fails to align with local planning, overlooks community needs, and does not meet basic standards of liveability.

However, in the proposal approved by the council, the developer has removed one storey from Building B, which faces Harcourt St, reducing the height from 41 metres to just over 37 metres.

Modifications will also be made to both buildings between levels eight and nine to increase separation between them.

The planning report stated that the overall height generally aligns with the character of the area and the preferred development outcomes for the location.

However, the council identified internal amenity concerns, noting six dwellings on level two facing Villiers St that are internal to the site and rely on voids for daylight.

Additionally, while the proposal includes the widening of Little George St to allow for a nine-metre setback, the council report said the built form along Flemington Rd compromised internal amenity due to outlook and shadow impacts.

At the August 5 meeting, Adam Haines from the Urban Planning Collective spoke on behalf of the developer.

“The [planning] report is a detailed, balanced, and measured consideration of the planning merits involved with this application, given the complexities of the development,” Mr Haines said.

He also noted that the affordable housing component was not a requirement, and the developer had voluntarily included green space in the plans.

“Our client has a proven record of delivering these projects to the market. They're not speculators; they’re doers,” he added. “One critical benefit of the BTR model is … a development offering that can hit the ground running.”

Following endorsement from the City of Melbourne, the developer now awaits a decision from the Minister for Planning, Sonya Kilkenny, before commencing construction. •