No way to Safeway

By Tania Martin
EMERALD’S Safeway supermarket development continues in limbo despite the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal recently (25 June) granting a permit.
This comes as Blue Hills Fish Café’s Emmanuel Lambrou said the supermarket development would not be able to proceed without cutting into the land he leases.
He said it would not be able to proceed until his lease runs out in 2012.
This follows claims that the current plans for the supermarket at 387 Belgrave-Gembrook Road, would cut off part of Mr Lambrou’s shop.
In its front-page story, Chips are down, on 9 September, 2008 the Mail reported Mr Lambrou’s claims that the plans were incorrect.
But, at the time, Safeway denied the architectural plans were wrong.
Mr Lambrou last week said VCAT approved the permit because there was no issue with using the land as a supermarket.
But, he said, the problems with the lease had still not been resolved.
“They don’t deal with leases,” Mr Lambrou said.
In granting the permit for a supermarket and two speciality shops, VCAT member David Alsop said the issues with the lease didn’t prohibit a new planning permit.
“Just because one permit exists for one portion of the land which the fish and chip shop sits, does not prevent the granting of a permit for an entirely different purpose,” Mr Alsop said.
Mr Lambrou said the permit approval didn’t give Safeway the green light to build.
“I have a lease on the land and they can’t build over my lease,” he said.
“They can’t build what they say they are going to build.”
Mr Lambrou said he could not be bought by Safeway.
“I am not interested in their money, I just want to be left alone to run my business,” he said. “And I have no intention to sell to them…I like it here and have plans to renovate the shop.”
Mr Lambrou said residents don’t realise that unless Safeway adjusts its plans to exclude any part of the land he leases, the supermarket could not proceed.
The Mail contacted Safeway but was unable to get a response before going to print.