A proposal to increase Orana Gardens Child Care Centre to cater for an additional 32 children has been refused by Western Plains Regional Council.
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The application went before council at the June ordinary meeting on Wednesday night, but was refused due to numerous parking issues.
The proposed development does not comply with the minimum off-street car parking requirements... and is considered to have detrimental impacts upon the locality.
- Lee Griffith
In the report to council, senior planner Lee Griffith said the centre was in a residential area and the proposed extension would be an over-development of the site.
“"The proposed development does not comply with the minimum off-street car parking requirements for a childcare centre in accordance with the Dubbo Development Control Plan 2013 and is considered to have detrimental impacts upon the locality,” Mr Griffith said.
“Further the significant increase in traffic associated with the proposal is not consistent or appropriate for a residential street.”
Goode Street resident Barbara Sutherland said while she had no issues with the proposed building extensions, the street could not accommodate more people.
“It is not safe in my view to expect the surrounding streets to accommodate the parking requirements that are the responsibility of the day care centre to provide,” she said.
“Visibility is often as issue as people enter and exit their homes in the local area.”
The centre submitted a traffic management plan to council and said it was council’s responsibility to ensure it was enforced, but director environmental services Melissa Watkins said the plan was inadequate.
“The imposition is that from day one council would be required to play an ongoing enforcement role in the development. It’s a much more appropriate approach to the development to proceed without any impositions on the council,” Ms Watkins said.