Planning strategy brief is issued

Work on the long-awaited Peninsula Urban Directions strategy is expected to start early next year and to be completed by July.

The preparation of the strategy will be centred upon a series of community workshops that aim to progressively develop the detail of the strategy, Gosford Council has been told.

The strategy was identified in the Shaping the Central Coast Action Plan and will now be undertaken by consultants to Gosford Council.

Three years ago the Minister for Urban Affairs and Planning, Dr Andrew Refshauge, announced that a State Government planning team would undertake the special planning strategy.

The need for the strategy was identified after the Shaping the Central Coast regional plan earmarked the Peninsula as a "compact city".

The Department of Planning, Infrastructure and Natural Resources has provided Council with funding of $95,000 to undertake the project.

The strategy is expected to address issues of infrastructure, urban character and building design, environmental sustainability, economic incentive, societal change, ?affordability and choice in housing, as well as?transport and access.

Gosford Council last week approved a consultants' brief for the work and will seek responses from consultants Connell Wagner, Newbold-Leyshon-Elton, and Advantage Urban Planning and Architects.

The brief highlights the "transformation of the Peninsula from a relatively small holiday and retirement destination to an urban locality accommodating over 30,000 people".

"The locality is increasingly attracting more interest, particularly from the retirement age groups and affluent individuals and couples, due to the perceived lifestyle benefits the area offers," according to the brief.

However it noted that there are "concerns regarding the sustainability of the future of the Peninsula".

These included "high rates of medium density housing, the lack of local employment opportunities, growing crime and safety issues, flooding and drainage and limited recreational facilities".

It also noted "the overall deficiencies in a range of supporting social infrastructure such as community neighbourhood centres, family support and child care facilities and arts and cultural facilities".

The Peninsula Strategic Urban development will include the developed part of the Peninsula, Woy Woy, Umina, Ettalong, Blackwall and Booker Bay.

"This area is home to one of the largest population concentrations on the Central Coast.

"With a population base of over 30,000 people, the area accommodates over 10 per cent of the region's population base and approximately 27 per cent of Gosford City's population," the brief notes.

"The typical residential dwelling characteristics are predominantly fibro cottages interspersed with more recent brick veneer dwellings and even more recent multi-unit housing in the form of single storey villas.

"The architectural quality of the residential dwellings and associated streetscapes is generally poor with poor definition between private space and the public realm."

The brief aims to address how "the towns generally do not generate a sense of place that is livable or walkable for residents and visitors".

"However, the natural environment that dominates the Peninsula somewhat overshadows the poor urban environment."

The overall aim of the project is "to prepare an integrated land use planning strategy which provides directions for land use planning actions for the Woy Woy Peninsula".

"The preparation of the strategy will be centred upon a series of community workshops that aim to progressively develop the detail of the strategy.

"Each community workshop corresponds to a stage of the project."

These community workshops are to be held at stages throughout next year.

Council agenda EP.393, December 12