Bridge Mall Built Form Framework review proposes building height increase

The City of Ballarat is seeking answers to that very question, and others, as part of the public consultation process for a new plan to change the face of the central precinct.

The Bridge Mall Built Form Framework review, released to the public on Thursday, proposes a rethink of the mall's building height, volume and overall shape.

The review is part of the wider Bakery Hill Urban Renewal Plan (BURP), which looks to increase the area's density and support a "lively precinct with an appropriate scale of urban development".

This comes during a wave of high-density planning applications in the city's centre, such as a 74-apartment building for 102 Humffray Street South, and a seven-storey 104-bedroom hotel and five-storey office space at 116-122 Lydiard Street North and 8 Mair Street, respectively.

Council has put together the document in an effort to change Bridge Mall's current building form controls, which it says are too restrictive on height and outdated.

At the heart of the council's built form review is Bridge Mall's current Design and Development Overlay, which sets a maximum building height limit of 10.5 metres on the south side of the mall and 8.7m on the north.

The council has argued the overlay is "not in step" with the city's urban renewal plans, and looks to bring the review to the Department of Transport and Planning, who will ultimately decide whether any changes to the overlay can take place.

As part of the process, the council also engaged heritage consultants to review the mall's current heritage provisions, to "ensure that new development respects and enhances the heritage character" of the mall.

The lengthy document divides Bridge Mall into three sub-areas; the Bridge Mall gateway, which contains Norwich Plaza, Bridge Mall central, and Bakery Hill.

The heritage consultants looked at issues such as preserving views onto Sturt Street and Mount Warrenheip, overshadowing, footpath movement and upper setbacks.

For the "Bridge Mall gateway" end of the strip, the review recommends a maximum building height of 24m tall, potentially seven-storeys in height for a commercial building.

The centre of the mall has a height recommendation of 18m, and the Bakery Hill end of the mall has a recommendation of 12m.

The review also recommends a maximum street wall height of 15m.

Ballarat Heritage Watch's Stuart Kelly said the group had taken issue with some aspects of the review, and questioned the council's coordination of planning for the mall.

He pointed to the council's 2021 commitment to reopening traffic through the mall, which could cost an estimated $18.6 million, as a potential issue for future plans in the mall.

In the review document's movement network mapping, the consultants only refer to Bridge Mall as a pedestrian mall.

"The council and council officers must have known that this study was taking place, and they they have pushed ahead on spending $18.6 million in opening it up to traffic," he said.

"It just astounds me that things aren't coordinated properly."

The Ballarat heritage advocate also criticised the proposed 24m maximum building height on the Norwich Plaza end of the mall.

"Obviously a seven-storey building stuck right at the end of Sturt Street would overwhelm the view of the other buildings, like the old state bank building on the corner of Camp Street and Sturt Street," he said.

"Looking down Sturt Street, it would be a massive thing in front of your face."

Mr Kelly said the review's recommendations on setbacks could result in a loss of character for the mall, citing the example of Bridge Street in Richmond.

"If anybody has driven down Bridge Street in Richmond, they have perhaps seen magnificent two-storey Victorian buildings with these huge buildings behind them. It just looks so incongruous," he said.

"Being able to see the taller, usually quite different style of building at the back, would destroy the streetscape."

To see the document, visit the council's MySay page.

The council will also be hosting drop-in sessions at 16 Bridge Mall, on the corner of Coliseum Walk and Bridge Mall.

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