A quiet and affluent beachside suburb has been rocked by the news that The Block is set to start filming there, with elderly residents fearing the show will ‘ruin’ their neighbourhood.
Channel Nine is set to the film the show’s 2020 season in Brighton in Melbourne, after MicJoy Pty Ltd, a company owned by the network, purchased a $14.96million plot of land in April.
According to Domain, a permit to move five homes onto the site in Melbourne will go for consideration before Bayside Council later this year.
If approved, filming is expected to commence in February, with neighbours already fearing the huge renovation and TV production will ‘ruin’ their quiet street.
Mrs Landes, whose unit of 36 years is separated from the site by an old fence, told Daily Mail Australia on Tuesday it’ll likely block the slight bit of sun her home gets.
Not happy: Furious neighbours of The Block’s 2020 season proposed site in Melbourne’s Brighton have spoken out ahead of a permit to move five homes onto the site ‘going for consideration before Bayside council in October’. Pictured: Host Scott Cam
‘My unit is already very cold and it’ll block the sun,’ she said, with the site currently boarded off from the public with a black wooden fence.
She added: ‘I’ll miss the sunsets too and they’ll be so much noise. Wherever they build, there will be noise, but what can you do about it?’
Mrs Landes, who moved into the rented unit in 1983, claimed one neighbour is already planning on selling her home before any renovations begin.
‘My friend has said she is going to list her house on the corner before it all starts,’ said Mrs Landes, explaining that the neighbour was ‘already planning on moving in the near future’, but is now speeding up the process.
Coming soon: If approved, filming is expected to commence in February, with neighbours fearing the renovation will ‘ruin’ their quiet street. Pictured: The boarded up site next to a unit
Renovations: Mrs Landes, whose unit of 36 years is separated from the site by an old fence (pictured), told Daily Mail Australia it’ll likely block the slight bit of sun her home gets
Change: ‘My unit is already very cold and it’ll block all of the sun,’ she said, adding, ‘I’ll miss the sunsets too and they’ll be so much noise… but what can you do about it?’
Big plans: The $14.96m plot of land is surrounded by small units and homes
A second neighbour, who asked to remain anonymous, said The Block would ‘change their quiet street forever’ and they’ve known about the plans for months.
In Daily Mail Australia’s pictures, the site, which is overgrown and littered with old building materials at present, appears to be in the process of getting cleaned up.
The Andrina Nursing Home was based at the address until 2014, before it was knocked down with developers hoping to build 13 luxury townhouses.
After these plans eventually fell through and the site was left empty for years, Nine’s MicJoy Pty Ltd purchased the spot in April 2019.
Preparations: In Daily Mail Australia’s pictures, the site, which is overgrown and littered with old building materials at present, appears to be in the process of getting cleaned up
High hopes: According to Domain, the application ‘mentions relocating five homes to the site and includes details about building a double-storey extension at the back of them’
According to Domain, the company’s application ‘mentions relocating five homes to the site’ – similar to the show’s 2017 season in Elsternwick.
‘The houses to be moved to the Brighton land will be single-storey, weatherboard homes from the 1930s to the 1960s, according to the permit,’ the site reports.
The publication also claim the application ‘includes details about building a double-storey extension at the back of the homes.’
Daily Mail Australia has contacted Channel Nine for comment.
Past: Andrina Nursing Home (pictured) was based at the address until 2014, before it was knocked down with developers hoping to build 13 townhouses, which did not happen
Local: The current season of The Block has been filmed in St Kilda at the Oslo Hotel (pictured)