Panel signals nursing home approval in rare bushland

The Joint Regional Planning Panel has voted to support the concept of allowing a 120-bed nursing home in endangered bushland in Woy Woy.

The owner of land at 45 Hillview St, Woy Woy, containing Umina coastal sandplain woodland has been told to give the planning authority more detail after a public hearing last week.

The four member joint regional planning panel voted three to one to support the concept but they did not approve the proposal - as yet.

Cr Kyle MacGregor was the dissenting member of the panel.

The approval would not comply with planning provisions.

The building would generally exceed height limits by 50 per cent and in places by three times.

Panel chair Mr Jason Perica said the panel had a number of details they wanted from the developer and from Central Coast Council staff assessing the details.

These included clarity about rules around development in areas with acid sulphide soils and whether previous consents about conservation considerations on this particular site had been complied with.

They also asked for a review of the proposed boardwalk and senior housing requirements under State Environmental Plans.

Mr Perica said they needed more time to digest information the developer had provided that day relating to one variation against planning guidelines, which required the development to be no higher than one storey within 25 metres of the rear boundary.

Mr Perica said the three storeys were higher but allowed the development to be concentrated on the cleared area and the density was less than the guidelines and given the significant setbacks of the building and characteristics of the site, there was enough conceptual support for not refusing but they would not approve "tonight".

The site currently has an active development approval for senior housing but the owner has come back with a variation to that original consent from 2007.

The latest plan is to build a three storey 160-bed nursing home, which is one storey above planning guidelines.

Many of the approvals from the previous consent are being carried over to the new proposal and the planning panel wanted some of these reviewed in light of current regulations.

Mr Perica said he expected a decision in weeks rather than months.

There would not be another public meeting but the information being sought would be published before a final decision was made.

SOURCE:

Hearing, 24 Jan 2019

Hunter Central Coast Joint Regional Planning Panel

Reporter: Merilyn Vale