Scarborough's Downsized Development Receives Planning Approval
A significant $35 million apartment project in the coastal suburb of Scarborough has been officially approved by State planning authorities, marking a notable shift from earlier, more ambitious proposals for the site.
Project Details and Location
The development, located at 24–26 Brighton Road in Scarborough, will stand nine storeys tall and contain 67 apartments. The residential mix includes 15 one-bedroom units, 30 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom dwellings. The building will feature a ground-floor gym for residents and comprehensive parking facilities.
The site is situated less than 50 meters from West Coast Highway, placing it in a prime coastal location that has seen considerable development activity in recent years. Parking provisions include 105 residential bays across two basement levels, with additional visitor and commercial parking planned for the ground floor.
From Tall Towers to Modest Development
This approval represents a substantial reduction in scale from previous plans for the same location. QS Developments, the project leader, had previously received approval in February 2023 for an 18-storey residential tower and a separate 12-storey hotel on the site. Those ambitious plans were ultimately abandoned, leading to the current, more modest proposal.
The Metro Inner Development Assessment Panel unanimously approved the current plans during a Wednesday morning meeting, following a positive recommendation from the City of Stirling. The five-member panel reviewed the application thoroughly before granting approval.
Affordable Housing Debate
One notable aspect of the approval process involved the removal of a condition requiring affordable housing provision. The City of Stirling had initially requested that developers include affordable housing units, but this requirement was eliminated after developers presented economic viability arguments.
Representatives from Urbanista Town Planning argued during the meeting that the inclusion of one-bedroom apartments effectively satisfied affordable housing objectives. With approximately 20% of units being one-bedroom dwellings, they maintained this met policy framework goals without requiring specific units to be sold to the Department of Communities.
"We're of the strong view that this satisfies that intent to provide affordable housing," a planning representative stated. "We certainly acknowledge that is an objective of the policy framework, but our view very much is that the one-bedroom dwellings do satisfy that."
Industry Challenges and Housing Shortage
City of Stirling Councillor Suzanne Migdale, who participated in the approval panel, supported the developers' position and highlighted broader industry challenges. "We are in the middle of a massive housing shortage, and I commend the applicant on putting forward an application which will assist with the extreme shortage with one-bedroom apartments," Cr Migdale commented.
She further noted the difficult environment facing developers: "On balance we need to understand how challenging it is for those that are partaking in development ... with all of the rules and regulations that they face, and cost of building today, it is certainly not an industry for the faint-hearted."
Development Assessment Panel member John Syme echoed these sentiments, describing the project as "very successful development" and "easily worthy of approval." He emphasized the current economic realities: "The margins for apartment building at the moment are very slender to get a viable project off the ground and require pretty solid and robust markets."
Mr Syme added: "We've gotten to a stage now where this can and should be built, and it's important that it is built. It's very appropriate for its setting and fits in with the rest of the Scarborough developments extremely well."
Broader Context and Implications
The approval comes amid ongoing discussions about housing supply, development viability, and coastal planning in Western Australia. The project's downsizing from earlier, taller proposals reflects both economic considerations and evolving community expectations for development scale in coastal areas.
As Scarborough continues to transform with new residential and commercial developments, this nine-storey project represents a middle ground between intensive high-rise development and more modest building scales. The approval process highlighted the balancing act between providing housing, maintaining developer viability, and meeting community planning objectives.
