Goldie St. in The Gap is facing challenging times as residents come together to rally against a childcare centre development in the area.
Specifically located at 81-85 Payne Rd, a proposed childcare facility called the C&K centre aims to cater to 114 children in a 2-storey building.
Residents are apprehensive as the development could create congestion on the busy road and a safety hazard in their neighbourhood. The road is home to pensioners, young families and people with disability and mobility issues.
They also want the development to be aligned with the new The Gap Neighbourhood Plan.
The new neighbourhood plan states that the population only expects to see 700-900 new residents over the next ten years. This contradicts the current approvals for five other childcare centre applications in the suburb.
Same Issue On the Same Road
One childcare centre application at 10-14 Payne Road has been lodged last year, with plans to develop what once was a three-storey brick office building into a childcare centre with an established commercial district centre. The centre can accommodate 117 children.
The site where the old office lies hasn’t been used for over 20 years. Some residents are very eager to finally see some development in the area. Others don’t think that a childcare centre is appropriate for the area due to the lack of green space. Others are getting concerned over the traffic that it may cause.
The Council Speaks Up
Cr Steve Toomey has already met with the residents to listen to their concerns and the council has responded urging the developer to respond to the council’s concerns and to seek community feedback. The residents, on the other hand, are encouraged to voice out their concerns when the opportunity arises.
