Entrepreneur Danny Pavlovich’s Dalkeith mansion pool plans knocked back after neighbour objects

Nedlands council has said no to a new outdoor entertaining area at the house that Alan Bond built — after a public spat between high-flying neighbours over the plans couldn’t be resolved. Former elite bodybuilder and fitness entrepreneur Danny Pavlovich had applied to the City of Nedlands in 2022 to build a new pool, pavilion and alfresco area at his $27.5 million Dalkeith home, once a famed party pad for controversial businessman Bond. Other renovations to the sprawling riverfront mansion had already been approved by city planning staff, but the application was thrust into the public eye after it received opposition from one neighbour, forcing the council to play decision maker. The council put off making that decision in December to give the clashing neighbours more time to negotiate but no changes have been made since. On Tuesday it voted 5-4 to refuse the plans citing its insufficient set-backs — against the advice of their staff — which will likely see the application head to the State Administrative Tribunal. Mayor Fiona Argyle, Crs Rebecca Coughlan, Ben Hodsdon and Kerry Smyth voted to approve the plans. Ahead of the vote, neighbour and Atrio Property Group executive director Jennifer Roughan — accompanied by her lawyer and a strategic planner — again urged the council to knock back the application. Ms Roughan told the council the height and depth of the pool meant people using it could look directly into her property and it needed to be set back further. “The pure bulk and proximity of the current proposal, along with the gross overlooking of the pool and oversized eaves, will absolutely destroy the enjoyment of a very large portion of our house,” she said. Speaking on behalf of Mr Pavlovich, Planning Solutions director Ben Doyle told the council they had already “made plenty of compromises” including changing the height of the boundary wall and increasing the pool and pavilion set-back. Mr Doyle said he’d suggest the reasons put forward by the neighbours to refuse the plans were “all red herrings”. “Because we all know what this is about is being entitled to views,” he said. “The changes now being sought by the neighbour have the sole purpose of removing anything that might affect their view of the river. “Never before have I seen it suggested that a homeowner should not be permitted to have a swimming pool of their choice because the neighbour who overlooks that property doesn’t want to see people swimming in the pool — it’s completely topsy-turvy.” Cr Fergus Bennett said the original home had been given a “large amount of special consideration” when it was built. “To ask for more on top of that — even though it is well designed and a lot of thought has been put into it — does add to the height, bulk and scale for that particular neighbour and it isn’t fair,” he said. As the property opens onto the Swan River foreshore, the application was also considered by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions on behalf of the Swan River Trust which advised it had no objections. However, it had recommended landscaping to the front of the home to “improve and soften” its appearance from the foreshore. Cr Bennett said he didn’t think it was appropriate that public land be landscaped to screen a private home. While one mansion owner’s dreams were dashed at the meeting, COVID-19 rapid antigen test importers Matthew and Anna Fry’s bid to overhaul their $16.5m palatial Jutland Parade property was unanimously approved by the council.