Residents in and around the vicinity of 19 McDonnell Street, Raby, have defeated plans for a large, 120 place child care centre – for now.
The Local Planning Panel, which consists of planning experts and community representatives, has rejected the application for the centre.
However, the applicants lodged a “deemed refusal’’ appeal in the Land and Environment Court before the Local Planning Panel decision. The court is yet to hear the case.
Last Wednesday the planning panel outlined several reasons for its decision to reject the application to demolish the existing house in 19 McDonnell Street, and remove a large number of mature trees to allow the construction of a child care centre.
“Although the proposed centre-based child care facility is permissible with consent in the C4 Environmental Living zone, the application has not demonstrated that the site is suitable for a 120-place child care centre having regard to the scale and intensity of the proposed use, said the panel.
The proposal exceeds the maximum number of 50 placements for child care centres under the Campbelltown (Sustainable City) Development Control Plan of 2015.
The panel said the proposal is inconsistent with the desired character of the locality and the McDonnell Street streetscape, including the dominance of hardstand parking areas, retaining structures, fencing and acoustic treatments within the front setback, and the removal of a number of established trees.
“The traffic evidence demonstrates that the proposed development would generate additional peak-hour trips and would have an unacceptable impact on the local road network, particularly the Raby Road/Thunderbolt Drive/Epping Forest Drive roundabout and associated queuing/spillback effects at the McDonnell Street/Thunderbolt Drive intersection,’’ said the panel.
“The proposal has not demonstrated safe and satisfactory pedestrian access to and from the site, noting the lack of footpath infrastructure along McDonnell Street and the nature of the proposed use, which would involve young children, carers and parents with prams.
“The Panel is not satisfied that the proposal provides an acceptable planning outcome having regard to acoustic amenity, internal amenity, tree removal and landscaping, waste management and the adequacy of the supporting information submitted with the application.
“The Panel … is not satisfied that the development is suitable for the site or that approval of the application would be in the public interest.’’
Residents rallied against the proposal when it became public knowledge at the start of this year.
Campbelltown Mayor Darcy Lound and the council agreed with the residents that the application was for an inappropriate development, and held a forum to hear the concerns of those living in and around 19 McDonnell Street.