The green light has been given to plans for a $20 million shopping centre expansion in Silverdale.
Development approval means Wollondilly residents in the northern end of the Shire can now look forward to a new village centre and commercial hub.
This is an important stepping stone for the expansion of the Silverdale village centre and is the culmination of a complex planning process which involved extensive collaboration between council staff and the proponent’s design team.
The land was rezoned in recent years following council’s decision to set a new strategic direction for the town and expand the commercial footprint.
“This is the next step in realising the vision council has for the town of Silverdale, and we expect the expanded centre to become a focal point for this growing community,” says Wollondilly Council chief executive officer Ben Taylor.
“It will give residents a wider range of options in the local area, reduce travel time and create space for much needed services.
“Council will continue to work with the developer as they progress their project and we look forward to seeing a supermarket, speciality stores, alfresco eating areas and underground parking all become a reality.”
The project will capitalise on the current and ongoing road safety upgrades to Silverdale Road, with council’s road designers working closely with the proponent’s design team to minimise duplication of reconstruction of the road and make the most of government grants.
The new centre will also connect into the expanded footpath network, bus stops and other traffic safety measures.
In other Wollondilly news, council has endorsed the inclusion of a series of amendments to the Wollondilly Local Environmental Plan 2011 to help promote agritourism in the Shire and build resilience in the farming sector.
At last Tuesday night’s meeting, council adopted a number of changes which were proposed as part of the NSW Government’s Agritourism and Small-Scale Agriculture Development program.
The changes will make it easier for farmers to use their land in new and innovative ways to complement their existing businesses and support farms to generate alternative income streams.
They include a number of new or updated land use terms and two optional clauses related to agritourism developed by the NSW Department of Planning; permitting agritourism, farm experience premises, farm stay accommodation and farm gate premises on various rural lands with consent.
