Hume City Council has approved plans for a new childcare centre at 28 Neill Street and 86 Ligar Street in Sunbury, despite receiving 35 objections from nearby residents.
The proposal, approved at the council’s June 22 meeting, will allow the construction of a single-storey childcare centre catering for up to 133 children.
The centre will operate between 6.30am and 6.30pm on weekdays and include three playrooms, outdoor play areas, staff facilities and 22 on-site car parking spaces.
Residents raised concerns about increased traffic, parking shortages, noise, neighbourhood character and the impact on nearby properties.
Council officers said the concerns had been considered but concluded the development met the requirements of the Hume Planning Scheme.
The report noted that while the proposal falls seven spaces short of the parking requirement that applied when the application was lodged, it would satisfy current parking standards, which are based on staff numbers rather than child capacity.
Council’s traffic engineers advised the surrounding road network could accommodate the additional traffic, subject to upgrades to Neill Street aimed at improving safety and traffic flow.
The development will occupy part of the combined site, with a section fronting Ligar Street set aside for potential future residential development under a separate planning application.
The permit was approved following a casting vote by the chair after councillors were divided on the proposal.
Voted in favour
- Cllr [mayor] Carly Moore (Casting vote)
- Cllr Ally Watson
- Cllr Daniel English
- Cllr Steve Gagen
- Cllr Karen Sherry
Voted against
- Cllr Jarrod Bell (Sunbury)
- Cllr Kate Hamely (Sunbury)
- Car John Haddad
- Clllr Naim Kurt
- Cllr Jim Overend
Absent from meeting: Cllr Sam Misho.
