Medical centre plans are resurrected

Plans for a medical centre behind the pharmacy between Oscar St and Alfred St, Umina, have been resurrected.

New plans have been submitted to Gosford Council for a three-level two-storey development.

The bottom level of the development would be underground parking; the second level the medical centre and third level space available for lease.

The plans hit the headlines in 2002 when adjoining property owner Mr Ed James tried to prevent the development and formalise plans to have the land behind his property turned into a rear laneway for public use.

Despite this, Council eventually approved an altered application, but the owner's plans fell through and the development did not go ahead.

Mr James maintains that council officers promised rear lane access for his property over 30 years ago.

The house on the lot was built more than 40 years ago and, without rear access, Mr James said he and his father had been forced to have their back yard at the front between the Charcoal Chicken shop and Radford's Chemist in Umina.

Despite receiving many complaints from retailers and council officers over the years over this, the James say they have no other choice.

As well as living on the property, they operate an antenna factory and a rental shop.

Mr James said: "When council gives us rear lane access, we will gladly remove our much maligned front fence across our driveway and do what we have wanted to do for many years - build a shop on the site."

"This will solve everyone's problems," he said.

Gosford council received a petition in 2002 signed by well over 850 people supporting Mr James.

Two public submissions and a petition with 49 signatures were received in relation to the application.

The council decided that the owner of the land through which the laneway ran had a right to build and approved the application to do so.

This time around Mr James claims the application has run into trouble early on with Council not advertising the application according to regulations.

He said his approaches to Council have resulted in advertisement of the development application being extended so that it is displayed Woy Woy library.

Under this application, Mr James will again not have rear access to his property.

He said this was not only a problem for his business but others in West St, Umina.

He cited butchers' trucks and beer trucks that pull up in the middle of West St to make deliveries, blocking traffic and buses.

Alison Branley, July 22