Claremont Station Master’s House may gain new tenant after failed attempts but councillors say ‘not ideal’

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The doors could finally reopen at Claremont’s historic Station Master’s House after more than a year sitting empty — but councillors admit the preferred new tenant is far from…

The doors could finally reopen at Claremont’s historic Station Master’s House after more than a year sitting empty — but councillors admit the preferred new tenant is far from their ideal choice.

Claremont council has unanimously approved a preferred applicant to lease the 140-year-old heritage-listed building, despite reservations about whether the proposal will deliver the best outcome for the community.

The applicant was selected from 10 submissions, with nine received after the expressions of interest process closed in August.

The town had advertised the property twice with limited interest, prompting Cr Graham Cameron to describe the successful proposal as “the best of a bad situation”.

“I would like to see next time it comes up to actually have a discussion about it being used more for community benefit rather than simply financial benefit,” he said.

“It’s a heritage-listed building and I’d like to see it open to the public, and I’d love to see some form of activation that brought people from outside of Claremont to the building and would then flow from that to the coffee shops and restaurants.”

Mayor Peter Telford told the Western Suburbs Weekly the town was in discussions with the preferred lessee, but their identity would remain confidential until an agreement was finalised.

“When in principle agreement occurs, the town will, in accordance with the Local Government Act 1995, give local public notice of the lease including the name of the lessee, a description of the property, proposed rent, market value and invite submissions,” he said.

A report from town staff confirmed the preferred applicant was an established business that had operated for 12 years, including the past two in the town centre.

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