Andrew Forrest's $50 million Spicer development has received unanimous backing from State planners. The Metro Inner Development Assessment panel approved the latest plan for the development 5-0 at its November 4 meeting.
The six-storey 150-room hotel development on Henderson Street is being undertaken by Spicer Street Pty Ltd, a subsidiary of Fiveight, which is the property development arm of Forrest family investment firm Tattarang.
Panel presiding member Dale Page said it would be a “transformational development”. “It is a very high quality proposal for a site that in my view has been crying out for development,” she said.
The City of Fremantle council had supported the project despite community concerns about its lack of parking and the impact on the streetscape. The city received a total of 19 submissions during a consultation period, with 14 opposed to the changes and five in support. Concerns included a lack of on-site parking and that it was too tall.
Ms Page said planning rules allowed for the building’s height and six pages of the city’s report were devoted to height. “We have the discretion to approve the additional height and the additional height will have no undue impact on the surrounding area,” she said.
Fremantle councillor and panel member Andrew Sullivan said the city’s policies had “long been” not overly concerned with parking being provided on development sites. “We obviously have a large carpark directly opposite this site that a number of hotels are utilising,” Cr Sullivan said.
