NEWS DESK
New lease on life for Ambassador site Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au A DERELICT site next to the Ambassador Hotel in Frankston is set to finally receive some love. The site will soon be home to a BP petrol station after Frankston councillors voted to approve the developer’s permit at the 22 October public council meeting. The site has been unattended since 2016, when the barren function centre that had originally stood there was demolished. Since then, the grass at the site has become overgrown and the surrounding buildings riddled with graffiti. Councillors said it was not an “ideal” situation, but ultimately gave BP the green light to go ahead. “They have been flexible and willing to work with council. We should be sending a message that if you are willing to work with council, we will meet you halfway,” Cr Kris Bolam said. “It’s a barren, post apocalyptic wasteland. “The present amenity of this site is not desirable at all. I think having a petrol station put into the area, money pumped into that area, beautification works put into that area, I think that is a good thing. It is a far better outcome.” The land had formerly been owned by the Ambassador Hotel, but the centre that once stood on it had fallen into disrepair. Council has been told that work on the project will begin as soon as pos-
Big boost for bowls CARRUM Bowls Club has received $200,000 from the state government for the construction of female friendly facilities. Labor MPs John Eren and Sonya Kilkenny visited the club to announce the funding, which will be drawn from the state government’s 2018-19 Female Friendly Facilities Fund. The redeveloped pavilion including new female change facilities provides an opportunity for the club to better cater for female competition bowlers as well as training and barefoot bowls. “Congratulations to Carrum Bowls Club, this boost will go a long way to support the growing number of people in Carrum keen to get involved in local sport and recreation,” Carrum MP Sonya Kilkenny said. Mr Eren thanked Frankston City Council and Carrum Bowling Club for their commitment and financial contribution to the project. Council put in $100,000 to the redevelopment, with the club raising $100,000 of their own.
Site for sore eyes: A service station will soon occupy the derelict site of the old Ambassador function centre. Picture: Gary Sissons
sible. Crs Glenn Aitken, Steve Toms, and Quinn McCormack voted against approving the permit. Cr Aitken said “it’s been a site which has been a long time, quite justifiably, by the public been expected to be something better than what it is. I don’t believe in getting something better than what you had, I believe in getting the best for your
community, I don’t think this is it.” Cr Toms noted the number of petrol stations already within the municipality, and denied the need for another one. Council also agreed to install a mural and palm trees on the land, as well as CCTV cameras with coverage across the entire site. Other projects have previously been touted for the site, but none
have ever come to fruition. It is understood that the land was once going to be used to build an apartment complex. (“Start of the end for The Ambassador”, The Times, 25/1/16) The project is set to get underway within the next two years. If no construction has started on the station within that time frame, the permit will lapse.
Bowled over: Carrum Bowls Club’s 160 members will benefit from new facilities. Picture: Supplied
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30 October 2018
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