Please attribute the following comments to City of South Perth Mayor Sue Doherty

Who is the applicant?
Australian Leisure and Hospitality Group (ALHG) is both the landowner and applicant for the Como Hotel site.

At what stage is this proposal at?
At this stage, the applicant has applied for planning approval for a proposed development that includes the following:

Demolition of the existing ‘BWS’ bottle-shop; 
Construction of a larger bottle-shop;
Internal and external refurbishment of the Como Hotel; and
Upgrades to the car park, including its expansion onto the vacant lot at the westernend of the site.

The community has been invited to submit comments on the proposal, and submissions are due by Friday 27 June. The City is currently assessing the planning application. The next step being a recommendation presented to the Metro Central Joint Development Assessment Panel (DAP). The DAP will determine the planning application. The DAP comprises of three specialist members appointed by the Minister for Planning and two of the City’s Councillors.

Can you give me a brief background of the issue?
The Town Planning Scheme Amendment to rezone the vacant site to ‘Highway Commercial’ was opposed by the community. Most objections related to the concept of a larger liquor store replacing the current one. Following consideration of the submissions, Council recommended to the Minister for Planning that the Scheme Amendment be refused. Subsequently the Minister overturned the decision of Council and approved the Scheme Amendment earlier this year. ALHG is now applying for planning approval to construct the larger liquor store.

What is the City's stance on the development?
The City cannot form an opinion on the development until the assessment of the planning application and results of the community consultation has been completed.