Updated Commercial Strategy

The Town has carried out a review of the Local Planning Strategy and as part of that the planning regulations for commercial areas is also being amended and improved.  The Local Planning Strategy incorporates a Commercial Strategy, which in the first instance confirms the Bassendean Town Centre as the primary commercial retail and civic centre of the municipality.  The strategy promotes the “Enquiry by Design” initiatives for the “main street” pedestrian retail area adjacent to the railway, whilst also ensuring that the overall importance of the Bassendean Village Shopping Centre is not undermined. The Bassendean Town Centre is divided into three (3) distinct sub-precincts, each having a different but complimentary function that contributes to the overall vitality of the town centre.  The other commercial areas dispersed beyond the Town Centre are to be contained as local centres only.

New Commercial Objectives

  • To prioritise and promote the importance of the Bassendean Town Centre as the commercial, retail and civic activity District Centre for the municipality, and facilitate its sustainable growth and vitality;
  • To promote and facilitate the revitalization of the traditional main street pedestrian based commercial retail precinct at the west end of Old Perth  Road, without undermining the overall importance of the Bassendean Village Shopping Centre as a car based retail centre servicing the district.
  • Promote the development of Bassendean Town Centre area as a District Centre that has the potential to be regarded regionally as a desirable place to live at higher densities (similar to places such as Fremantle or Subiaco).
  • To recognize the prospect for a potential complementary district centre at Ashfield in accordance with the Ashfield Precinct Plan, where the time frame and focus of commercial development does not compete with Bassendean as a District Centre.
  • To promote the improvement of amenity and services of Local shops at an appropriate scale and facilitate integration with medium density housing development where suitable.

Additional Strategies

  • Actively pursue Scheme Amendments and infrastructure plans that focus on the revitalization of Bassendean Town Centre in the short term, including the following;
  1. Bassendean Oval redevelopment plans;
  2. Connecting the river to the main street;
  3. Extending mixed uses (non – retail)  along the main street towards the river; and
  4. Prioritizing the actions under the T.O.D’s implementation plans associated with the Bassendean and Success Hill railway sections.
  • Defer the more ambitious main street option for Ashfield (Ashfield as per the Ashfield Precinct Plan) until decisions are made about the train station relocation or until the State Government becomes more active in the implementation of the Ashfield Precinct Plan.

The other strategies relating to commercial land use as detailed in the original Local Planning Strategy document of 2008 remain largely unchanged.