Escalating crime waves: Tribunal shockingly denies ALDI's plea
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ALDI supermarket has become the unlikely battleground for a debate that pits community aesthetics against security concerns.
The German discount supermarket, grappling with a series of break-ins and acts of vandalism, sought to take a stand against crime by installing security shutters.
However, the local council surprisingly rebuffed this move.
The ALDI store, located in the suburb of Byford, southeast of Perth, has been subjected to eight incidents of vandalism and theft between April 2022 and June 2023.
They now see the shutters as a necessary 'last resort' to protect their property and goods.
The proposed shutters were intended to shield the store's glazed shopfront during its most vulnerable hours, from 10 pm to 6 am, when the store is closed and the risk of crime is heightened.
However, the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale council rejected the application in July of the previous year, citing concerns that the shutters would alter the 'character of the locality' and inadvertently signal an expectation of crime.
Planning Expert Heather O’Brien, representing the council, argued that the presence of shutters would convey a message of danger to pedestrians, transforming the area into a 'hostile space' and detracting from the suburb's charm.
She said, ‘A 24-metre long stretch of blank shutters on a shop front tends to send a message, particularly to pedestrians in the evening and night-time, of an unsafe environment.’
The State Administrative Tribunal of WA upheld the council's decision, which echoed the sentiment that the shutters were not the ‘last resort’ that ALDI claimed them to be.
The tribunal said, ‘On the evidence before me…the proposed development is not in any way a last resort in the sense provided for in [local planning policy].’
The tribunal suggested that other measures, such as improved lighting, more prominent CCTV, and potential modifications to the shopfront, could be explored before resorting to such drastic measures.
ALDI's Expert Planning Witness, Nathan Stewart, contended that while shutters might not be the ideal solution, they were preferable to seeing broken windows in the town centre.
He argued that the impact of closed shutters at night was minimal compared to the adverse visual amenity of vandalism.
Yet, the tribunal was not swayed, maintaining that the quick repairs made to damaged windows were less detrimental to the community's appearance than the nightly installation of shutters would be.
‘I do not accept the proposition one or two damaged glazing panels (which I accept has occurred eight times) has a greater negative amenity impact than covering the entire glazed shopfront each night,’ the tribunal said.
In a time with a shocking spike in crime, particularly among the youth, it's a dilemma that many businesses and residents face as crime rates fluctuate and the need for protection becomes more pressing.
Could the recent wave of vandals be protesting soaring prices?
In a previous story, a man showed that ‘vandalism’ could mean more than meets the eye.
What did he do? You can read more about the story here.
We invite you to weigh in on this issue. Have you noticed an increase in crime in your area, and how do you feel about using security measures such as shutters? Let us know in the comments below!
The German discount supermarket, grappling with a series of break-ins and acts of vandalism, sought to take a stand against crime by installing security shutters.
However, the local council surprisingly rebuffed this move.
The ALDI store, located in the suburb of Byford, southeast of Perth, has been subjected to eight incidents of vandalism and theft between April 2022 and June 2023.
They now see the shutters as a necessary 'last resort' to protect their property and goods.
The proposed shutters were intended to shield the store's glazed shopfront during its most vulnerable hours, from 10 pm to 6 am, when the store is closed and the risk of crime is heightened.
There were over 15,000 cases of graffiti and property damage in Western Australia in the last year. Image Source: Shutterstock / Mahmoud Suhail
However, the Shire of Serpentine-Jarrahdale council rejected the application in July of the previous year, citing concerns that the shutters would alter the 'character of the locality' and inadvertently signal an expectation of crime.
Planning Expert Heather O’Brien, representing the council, argued that the presence of shutters would convey a message of danger to pedestrians, transforming the area into a 'hostile space' and detracting from the suburb's charm.
She said, ‘A 24-metre long stretch of blank shutters on a shop front tends to send a message, particularly to pedestrians in the evening and night-time, of an unsafe environment.’
The State Administrative Tribunal of WA upheld the council's decision, which echoed the sentiment that the shutters were not the ‘last resort’ that ALDI claimed them to be.
The tribunal said, ‘On the evidence before me…the proposed development is not in any way a last resort in the sense provided for in [local planning policy].’
The tribunal suggested that other measures, such as improved lighting, more prominent CCTV, and potential modifications to the shopfront, could be explored before resorting to such drastic measures.
ALDI's Expert Planning Witness, Nathan Stewart, contended that while shutters might not be the ideal solution, they were preferable to seeing broken windows in the town centre.
He argued that the impact of closed shutters at night was minimal compared to the adverse visual amenity of vandalism.
Yet, the tribunal was not swayed, maintaining that the quick repairs made to damaged windows were less detrimental to the community's appearance than the nightly installation of shutters would be.
‘I do not accept the proposition one or two damaged glazing panels (which I accept has occurred eight times) has a greater negative amenity impact than covering the entire glazed shopfront each night,’ the tribunal said.
In a time with a shocking spike in crime, particularly among the youth, it's a dilemma that many businesses and residents face as crime rates fluctuate and the need for protection becomes more pressing.
Could the recent wave of vandals be protesting soaring prices?
In a previous story, a man showed that ‘vandalism’ could mean more than meets the eye.
What did he do? You can read more about the story here.
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