The draft Ascot Kilns Local Development Plan and Design Guidelines were publicly advertised by the City of Belmont between 5 September and 26 September 2017 following a previous round of community consultation by the City.
The City is responsible for approving local development plan documentation in accordance with Local Planning Scheme No.15 and the Planning and Development (Local Planning Schemes) Regulations 2015.
In 2020, the State Government added Ascot Kilns to the State Register of Heritage Places.
A project is currently underway to stabilise and conserve the original kiln and chimney structures, with on-site works anticipated to commence in 2022.
Community input
Engagement with the local community was undertaken to inform preparation of the local development plan. Stakeholders and residents were invited to participate in workshops which explored development scenarios for the Ascot Kilns site, including the heritage listed kilns and stacks.
Background
The former Bristile Kilns site in Ascot contains a number of beehive kilns and chimney stacks that provide a link to Perth’s industrial past. The kilns were built between 1929 and1950 and ceased operations in 1982. The remaining kilns and stacks are included in the State Register of Heritage Places (Place number 00868) as an interim listing, with some being in poor condition.
The Department of Planning, on behalf of the Western Australian Planning Commission, has prepared the draft Ascot Kilns Local Development Plan and Design Guidelines, which set out a comprehensive framework for redevelopment of the 1.6 hectare site.
The draft design guidelines and local development plan are informed by the following principles:
- ensure that future uses will contribute to the amenity of Ascot and the local community
- emphasise the importance of the site’s history and character by retaining as many of the kilns and chimney stacks as possible and maximising their visual and physical public accessibility
- allow for the integration of the remaining heritage structures into built form, facilitate their adaptive reuse and promote the interpretation of previous industrial processes and structures
- encourage access and connectivity with surrounding recreational spaces and residential uses, with links through the Ascot Kilns site which align with existing routes
- contribute to open space through the provision of a landscaped interface with adjacent areas
- respond to the surrounding uses and context, including the existing built form within Ascot Waters.
Local Development Plan and Design Guidelines key elements
The draft plan and guidelines will progress the site to a ‘planning ready’ state for future development and proposes the following key outcomes:
- creation of two development sites, capable of yielding 200-250 residential apartments within the proposed building envelopes
- provision of an active edge component fronting onto the kilns cluster (promoting small-scale retail and hospitality offerings)
- development scale generally ranging from two to eight storeys, with determination of height influenced by the surrounding lower scale residential context and the site’s chimney stacks
- retention of the majority of the kilns (minimum five, preferably six) and all of the remaining chimney stacks
- maintaining physical and visual access to the heritage structures from key aspects
- potential for integration of the heritage structures within future development sites to maximise opportunities for adaptive reuse and innovative design solutions.
