Banksia Grove Village: Approval given for $22 million redevelopment of northern suburbs shopping centre

A proposal for a $22 million redevelopment of the Banksia Grove Shopping Village has officially been given the green light by State planning officials after “overwhelming support” from the local community. The shopping centre about 27km north of Perth’s CBD is bound by Joondalup Drive to the east, Pinjar Road to the west, and Ghost Gum Boulevard to the north. It caters to suburbs including Banksia Grove, Carramar and Tapping. Six new shops, including a cafe with alfresco dining, will be part of the redevelopment, alongside a new pedestrian promenade and plaza. The project will include a swim school, three fast food outlets, a tavern with a capacity for 750 patrons and an adjoining kids’ playground, and a drive-through liquor store. The shopping village, which currently features a supermarket, specialty retail shops, two fast food outlets, a childcare centre, gym and petrol station, will also have 81 more car parking spaces, bringing the total number to 498. The proposal received 367 submissions when it was advertised for community consultation. Of these, 329 supported the proposal, with 28 objecting and a further 10 providing comments. Speaking at last week’s Metro Outer Development Assessment Panel meeting, where the proposal was approved, Karen Hyde, presiding member of the panel, was more than happy to give the tick of approval to the project, noting there was “overwhelming support through the submissions received from the community.” Concerns raised in the objections included the potential for increased antisocial behaviour and crime from the tavern, more traffic, insufficient parking, and alternative preferred uses for the site. In response to these concerns, an operational management plan for the proposed tavern — covering noise, rubbish disposal, deliveries, security, complaint management, and patron control — must be approved by the City of Wanneroo before a building permit is issued. Unless otherwise agreed upon by the City of Wanneroo, the tavern’s operating hours will be limited to 10am to midnight. A new northern access point from Ghost Gum Boulevard is also planned. The DAP did acknowledge a lack of pedestrian access from the east and Joondalup Drive and recommended a connection from the corner of Ghost Gum Boulevard and Joondalup Drive into the site. The application submitted by Element Advisory on behalf of the property investment company ISPT was unanimously approved by the panel, which included Wanneroo councillors Bronwyn Smith and Jacqui Huntley. The redevelopment is expected to be delivered in three stages in response to market demands.