Objectives

• To create a lively and people-based centre, accommodating a wide variety of place based activities, including pop up parks, playgrounds, markets, festivals and events.

• To encourage public artwork in suitable locations to contribute to the ‘art character’ of Eltham.

• To recognise, protect, retain and enhance the contribution provided by canopy trees, particularly native trees, to the existing and preferred character of Eltham.

• To ensure that the health of existing canopy trees is not unnecessarily jeopardised by buildings and works.

• To ensure that new development contributes to the achievement of the preferred character through additional landscaping, particularly canopy trees.

• To ensure new car parking areas are provided with landscaping with canopy trees where appropriate.

• To develop more attractive public spaces to enhance social interaction and the image of the centre.

• To retain and increase vegetation in the public realm, minimising potential urban heat island effect.

• To celebrate Eltham’s art, cultural and historic heritage.

• To create safe, highly permeable and convenient connections between precinct.

• To deliver an extensively landscaped public realm with indigenous, non-indigenous and non-native trees and integrated street furniture.

• To ensure that development sites with front, side or rear setbacks are extensively landscaped with native vegetation.

• To visually connect to the surrounding ridges and tree lines surrounding the town centre.

• To improve visual and physical connections (including wayfinding signage) between the Diamond Creek Trail and key destinations within the Activity Centre.

Strategies

• Strengthen the landscape character along Main Road, Bridge Street and Susan Street through the provision of mature trees and planting within the streetscape and public realm.

• Investigate the opportunity for a public space/ plaza at 1A Pryor Street, and partial or full pedestrianisation of Commercial Place between Luck Street and Pryor Street to create place activation.

• Prepare an Urban Design Framework (UDF) for Commercial Place to encourage its continued development as pedestrian prioritised ‘Food Street’.

• Enhance the public realm with seating, shade trees and space for outdoor eating.

• Investigate the opportunity to relocate existing car parking adjacent to the Eltham Library to enable for place activation activities.

• Implement footpaths (1.8 metre minimum width) along Panther Place, Susan Street and the northern side of Brougham Street, edging the BSBA.

• Investigate the opportunity for a signalised pedestrian crossing at the junction of Main Road and Arthur Street and/or at the junction of Luck Street and Main Road.

• Implement improvements to the existing train station entrance and underpass.

• Investigate an improved public realm and pedestrian infrastructure along Main Road adjacent to the train station and adjacent to the bus interchange.

• Investigate the provision of additional pedestrian bridges over the railway to improve connectivity and legibility between catchment and open space to the west of the rail line with the balance of the Activity Centre to the east.

• Investigate improved pedestrian/ cycling connection east west under the rail line on Panther Place (footpath currently not formalised).

• Development should respond to the distinct landscape character in Precinct 2 through maintaining front setbacks and landscaping. The front setback should be a minimum of 5.5m measured from the front property boundary.

• Investigate public realm improvements in the BSBA, including implementation of seating, footpaths and upgrades to existing footpaths and pedestrian crossings.