Once dubbed ‘the most fashionable street in Ballarat’, Webster Street has become a substitute thoroughfare and carpark for the nearby medical precinct, say residents.
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Homeowners in the sought-after location are worried about further increases in traffic and parking woes following a proposed development for the historic property at 109 Webster Street, Nieder Weisel, also known as Novar or Valhalla.
A planning application before the City of Ballarat is currently seeking to alter a pre-existing restrictive covenant on the property to allow the building of 35 car parking spaces.
The property, formerly a tourist accommodation, was put on the market in April, advertised as an eight-bedroom mansion. The listed asking price was $3.5 million. It has not been sold.
The covenant, a private agreement between land owners to restrict the way the property may be used and developed, was established in 2001 between the former owner, St John of God Hospital, and the buyer at that time, Greg and Samantha McIntosh.
We feel like we’re trapped. We don’t have access to our own driveway.
- Webster Street resident
The covenant specifies the property “shall not use or permit to be used any building or structure on the land hereby transferred or any part thereof as a medical facility or a hospital facility or for any use ancillary to a medical facility or ancillary to a hospital facility”.
The current planning report submitted to council has been prepared for Ballarat Orthopaedics. The building would be converted from a residential dwelling to a medical centre ‘accommodating up to 11 specialist sports medicine and orthopaedic practitioners’. Such a change would require an alteration to the covenant, which St John of God has agreed to.
Among other alterations, the proposed additional 35 car-parking spaces would be added to land at the side and rear of the building. Existing trees and gardens and a rotunda would be removed to make way for the car parking.
The Courier spoke with residents who have been subjected to vehicles parking in and across driveways, often for hours at a time, in breach of no standing signs..
“We get people parked in our driveway, over our driveway, just for convenience to the hospital,” said one resident.
“We feel like we’re trapped. We don’t have access to our own driveway.”
Other residents reported having to change doctor’s appointments or being made late for their employment by inconsiderate parking. Despite the City of Ballarat installing no standing zones in Webster Street, The Courier saw at least two vehicles parked in contravention of the signs on Tuesday.
Anecdotal reports say hospital staff and patients are choosing to park in side-streets rather than pay for parking at the Ballarat Base Hospital car park.
The Ballarat Orthopaedics application, listed as Novar Holdings Pty Ltd, says the practice has outgrown its current premises in Mair Street.
