Bayside City Council
Planning & Amenity Department
PO Box 27, Sandringham VIC 3191
Attention: The Responsible Authority
Date: 1 July 2026
Objection to Planning Permit Application No. 2026/0412/1
Subject land: 12 Sample Street, Brighton VIC 3186
Proposal: Construction of a three-storey building comprising six dwellings, with reduced setbacks and basement car parking.
I write as the owner-occupier of the adjoining property at 14 Sample Street, Brighton. I object to the above application and request that Council refuse to grant a permit, or alternatively require substantial amendment, for the planning grounds set out below.
Grounds of objection
1. Neighbourhood character (Clause 2.0 of the Neighbourhood Residential Zone; Clause 15.01-5S)
The subject land is within the Neighbourhood Residential Zone (Schedule 3), whose purpose is to respect and protect the prevailing low-scale, garden-suburb character of the area. A three-storey form is not consistent with the predominantly single and double-storey detached dwellings in this part of Sample Street and would read as visually dominant in the streetscape. The application does not adequately demonstrate a design response to the preferred neighbourhood character statement.
2. Building height and mandatory limits (ResCode Standard B7 / Clause 55.03-2)
The NRZ3 schedule applies a maximum building height. The advertised plans show an overall height and third-storey element that appear to exceed, or sit at the very limit of, the schedule maximum. Council should verify the surveyed natural ground level and confirm the proposal does not rely on an exceedance that would require justification that has not been provided.
3. Overlooking and loss of privacy (Standard B22 / Clause 55.04-6)
The upper-level habitable-room windows and the rear third-storey balcony have a direct line of sight into the private open space and habitable-room windows of my property within the 9-metre arc. The plans do not show screening to 1.7 metres or the required sill heights. This is an unreasonable amenity impact that the standard is designed to prevent.
4. Overshadowing of adjoining secluded private open space (Standard B21 / Clause 55.04-5)
Given the height and southern siting of the building, additional shadow will be cast over my secluded private open space between 9am and 3pm on 22 September. The application does not include adequate equinox shadow diagrams demonstrating that at least 75% (or the existing area, if already less) will retain sunlight as the standard requires.
5. Car parking and traffic (Clause 52.06)
Six dwellings on a lot of this size, on a street already subject to significant on-street parking demand, will generate overflow parking and manoeuvring conflicts at the shared crossover. Council should confirm that the statutory parking rate is met on site and that the basement ramp sight lines are safe.
Requested outcome
For the reasons above, I ask that Council refuse the application, or at minimum require the third storey to be deleted, the building recessed and screened, and compliant on-site car parking provided. I wish to be notified of Council’s decision and reserve my right to seek review at VCAT.
Yours faithfully,
[Objector name]
14 Sample Street, Brighton VIC 3186