A category 3 public notification development application has been received by Council for a Vodafone phone tower proposed at Goodwood Oval.
Goodwood Oval South East Light Tower
The application is to extend one of the light towers at the ground to accommodate the installation of a new telecommunications facility in this location. The tower in question is the south east tower adjacent the Hockey club rooms.
The application proposes extending the height of the Tower by 5 metres, from 25 m to 30 m high.
Category 3 applications are for non-complying development. Category 3 means anyone, not just immediate neighbours can lodge a representation to council’s DAP, whether for or against the proposed development.
I encourage you to examine the documents lodged, links for which are below. If you have a feeling about the development either way I then encourage you to lodge your representation to council, following the directions in the links to Mr Grant Croft, who as a senior planning officer is processing the application. If you do please make sure you lodge it at the council offices no later than 5.00 pm on August 12.
Refer as follows:
Goodwood Oval-Representation Letter. This includes the form to be used in making a representation.
Goodwood Oval-Cover Letter
Goodwood Oval-Planning Report
Goodwood Oval-Plans
You can also liaise with me of course if you wish about the development and I can assist you in making your representation. As a member of the Development Assessment Panel Jennie will not be able to speak with you about the application. Doing so would create a conflict of interest which would require her to withdraw from the panel when dealing with this application.
The tower is not non complying. It’s cat 3 because it is not listed as cat 1 or 2. It’s a common mistake
Sorry George but the very reason it is a cat 3 public notification is because it is a non-complying development. The very notice provided by the CEO is clear in specifying that it is a non-complying development.
At the end of the day though the fact is that everyone has the opportunity to make a representation,for or against the development. And I hope that those who have an interest respond.
As the Clarence Park ward councillor, we are extremely disappointed you are apparently indifferent about the proposed Vodafone telecommunications tower. This would be an ugly eyesore that should not be in our beautiful Goodwood Oval, which is located in a heritage residential area. The fact that you happily reported in the Messenger that you “do not have a position on whether it should be approved or not” is very alarming. In our view you are meant to be representing your rate payers not the commercial interests of Vodafone. Their only motive on erecting the tower is to enable train commuters to access better mobile coverage! We had expected our representatives on council to actually stand up for issues negatively impacting residents and protect community assets such as this oval.
I am far from in different about this proposal Andrew & Anne.
Happily reporting that I had no position is far from the truth too. I actually told the reporter that I had focused thus far on letting you know it was out there and had no opinion yet because I had not viewed the documents.
My whole contribution has to date been to do all I can to ensure you get to have your say about the proposed development. You and everyone else out there, irrespective of your or their views.
Acting for and on your behalf I would have thought is precisely what I did by blogging and ensuring the Goodwood Oval website did likewise to get the message out there that an application had been received. Doing this was my way of ensuring you have the opportunity to make a representation to council.
To provide you the opportunity to do this before examining the documentation associated with the application and making my own mind up I would have thought to be in your best interests rather than determining position over which I have no influence.
Having said that if it were to be something over which I do have influence I would take a similar approach, seeking to find out the opinions of the people before determining my own position.
I am sorry to hear you are disappointed in my involvement thus far with this issue. For you and others who feel the same way, that I should have an opinion I apologise.
I ask you however whether you would prefer a ward councillor who focuses on giving you an opportunity to have a say, whatever your opinion may be, or someone who starts with an opinion and not interested in yours.
It is not possible in my opinion to represent your constituents if you have not provided them an opportunity to put their view. To that end my current focus is to read all 119 representations when they become available.
When interviewed by the reporter of the Eastern Courier I was very specific in letting him know my focus and priority when I found out the application had been lodged was to do all I could to ensure you found out about the application so you could have an input if you wished.
I then explained that until I could look at the drawings myself I had no opinion.
If this is not satisfactory to you please tell me what it is I should be doing.