A Castlemaine man says he will fight a council decision that would require him to remove a large private waterslide he has already built in his front yard.
Castlemaine’s Brent Clayton says he is receiving legal advice and anticipating a VCAT hearing, after Mount Alexander Shire councillors knocked back granting retrospective approval for the 34 metre long waterslide – that’s longer if you count the bends.
This was despite a recommendation by the council’s planning department to retrospectively grant a permit with conditions.
Mr Clayton this week told the Mail he had the waterslide especially designed and built to run into an existing dam on his Merrifield Street property for family and friends to enjoy.
However, the site is affected by a heritage overlay, triggering the need for a permit.
An application for a permit was subsequently lodged in January, drawing formal objection from a neighbour whose concerns include that the waterslide disregards significant elements of the planning scheme and is out of character with the area.
The objection also relates to potential noise and impacts on flora and fauna.
A planning department report to the council recommended granting approval subject to conditions including limited the hours of operation, and landscaping.
And Mr Clayton told the Mail he had engaged a landscape designer in an effort to address the concerns.
But at the council’s June meeting councillors narrowly voted against granting a permit retrospectively… Read more in the Castlemaine Mail, Friday July 10, 2020
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