Council considers making submission on Sporties

Central Coast Council will consider making its own submission to the regional planning panel about plans to redevelop the Woy Woy Bowling Club.

The council discussed the possibility at its meeting on February 12.

Mayor Cr Jane Smith said due to the significant concern in the community about the proposal the elected Council want to be across the detail and community impacts before it went to the Joint Regional Planning Panel.

"We are aware the Panel is an independent process and community submissions will be considered," Cr Smith said.

"We are interested to see the assessment report and it may be appropriate to add the weight of a Council submission to reinforce the concerns of the community in relation to flooding and parking impacts and see what can come out of that."

Cr Mehrtens said: "I think this is one of the really key examples of why the State Government is so keen on taking away a lot of our planning decisions,".

"The DA has already come to council staff once and I am happy to say staff pushed it back for various reasons.

"It has come back slightly smaller but anyone who has driven on the Peninsula knows exactly what it is like down that end of the Coast when it rains...it can just be raining and it floods," he said.

Cr Mehrtens said the availability of parking in Woy Woy was already "terrible" and that "adding 60 units will make worse."

"I think it is only fair for councillors to see the [assessment] report because of the impact it will have on community."

He said he believed seniors housing would be allowed on the site due to an anomaly in state planning laws.

"I am heartened to see there are amalgamation plans for the club but to be using a club in name only to prop up a housing development on prime recreation land is not a good precedent to be setting," he said.

Cr Rebecca Gale Collins asked Council's Director of Environment and Planning, Mr Scott Cox, whether or not development was compatible with the site.

Mr Cox said it was "too early to form an opinion".

"The applicant did receive a type compatibility certificate when the initial proposal was lodged, but staff raised anomalies so the proposal was changed and resubmitted and staff are still working on the assessment."

Crs MacGregor and Burke declared interests in the matter as members of the Joint Regional Planning Panel and left the chamber during the debate.

Cr Chris Holstein also declared a significant non-pecuniary interest as one of the applicants is the landlord of his wife's business.

He also left the chamber during consideration of the matter.

Cr Gale Collins declared a less than significant non pecuniary interest in the matter as her husband is involved in the Chamber of Commerce.

She chose to remain in the chamber and participate in discussion and voting.

As the development is valued at over $20 million it is the Panel, not theCouncil, which is the ultimate consent authority.

However the elected body of Council can make a submission to the Panel that is separate and additional to the assessment report that must be provided by Council officers.

The Joint Regional Planning Panel's tentative meeting date to consider the application remains to be confirmed

SOURCE:

Central Coast Council agenda Item 2.1, 12 Feb 2018

Media release, 13 Feb 2018

Jane Smith, Central Coast Council

Website, 21 Feb 2018

NSW Planning Panel, Project ref 2017HCC044DA

Reporter: Jackie Pearson