Site works at 51-53 Main Street, Romsey, are underway after supermarket chain Coles submitted a planning application to build a store at the location – despite the fact Macedon Ranges Shire Council is yet to sign off on the project.
Council planning and environment director Rebecca Stockfeld said council officials met with Coles and planning consultants to discuss the application prior to its submission last month.
The proposal includes a supermarket, a bottle shop and 195 car parking spaces.
Ms Stockfeld said council had requested further information from Coles since the application’s submission and that a timeline for a final decision on whether the development would go ahead was unclear.
She said works already undertaken at the site did not require a planning permit.
“The application is currently on request for further information and at this stage the timeframe for the assessment of the application is unknown. A more definitive timeframe can only be established once the requested further information is provided,” she said.
“Factors to be considered in the assessment of the application include, but are not limited to, amenity, traffic, design of the proposal and its presentation to the street, landscaping and signage consideration.
“The general works currently occurring on site do not require a planning permit. Advice was provided to the applicant on this.
“A separate permit has been lodged for the removal of native vegetation and is currently under assessment.”
A Coles spokesperson said the development would create hundreds of local jobs in retail and construction.
“The proposed development would represent a multimillion-dollar investment in the region, offering residents more choice, great value and an enhanced shopping experience,” the spokesperson said.
