INDIGO Shire councillors voted 4-2 on Tuesday night for homes to cover former tennis courts at Beechworth.
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The approval for the 10-lot subdivision followed community opposition based on amenity, tourism impact, safety and ecology.
Shire councillor Larry Goldsworthy said he did not want to see the area changed, but it was unavoidable.
“”Unfortunately it is the way it is going to go, the council didn’t own the site, it’s the tennis club that sold it and they have every right to want to improve their facilities,” he said.
Cr Goldsworthy said he expected upmarket residences would emerge on the 6830 square metre parcel.
“I suspect given the price that was paid for the land itself and its locality they’ll be at a premium, you want see any cheap housing going on there,” he said.
Councillor James Trenery said the development would be an economic fillip for the town.
“Beechworth needs development, I deal with a lot of businesses in Beechworth through other roles and it’s not absolutely flat out, they’d like to see more people in this town, more people coming in, not just through tourism but regular people that live nearby,” he said.
“To have a development towards the inner city, towards the inner area of Beechworth can do nothing but help the local businesses.”
Mayor Bernard Gaffney, who along with his deputy Barb Murdoch, voted against the planning permit, raised concerns with council staff about a stormwater easement and road access.
“Spring Creek used to have trout in it, I remember it used to have platypus in it and I’d hate to see it just being used as a drain,” he said.
Indigo Council’s development director Mark Florence responded to Cr Gaffney’s concerns by saying detailed engineering works would need to be approved by the council before any activity occurred on the land.
The permit application was approved by councillors Goldsworthy, Trenery, Sophie Price and Dianne Shepheard.
Immediate past mayor Jenny O’Connor was an apology.
She remains on leave after having contested the seat of Benambra as an independent in the Victorian election on Saturday.