Lithgow RSL sporting fields; watch this space

When the club closed several years ago and the property sold to a Sydney developer the deal included the adjacent bowling greens and tennis courts.

The actual two storey registered club building was leased to a health club and more recently sold to Westfund, together with the car park on the northern side.

But the developer  retained the sporting areas on the southern side and initially announced plans for a motel on the site.

This never proceeded and a new proposal was put to council for a villa complex with frontages to Hoskins Avenue and Hayley Street.

Plans were even lodged with a local estate agent to invite expressions of interest.

The site was initially cleared but activity then came to a standstill and it quickly became seriously overgrown, drawing criticism from residents and demands from Lithgow Council for a clean up.

Now the developer has put another submission to council for minor amendments to his earlier proposal and this was approved without debate at the most recent meeting.

Since then there has been more site clearance under way this week and new signage appearing on the boundary fence advising the passing world to ‘watch this space’ and bearing the corporate identification of Portabello Homes.

The latest council meeting was told that the original development application dates back to August 2008.

It is intended that when complete the complex will incorporate 24 medium density units —  14 two bedroom and 10 three bedroom.

Cr Wayne McAndrew said that after the lengthy delays council should impose a time limit.

He said that council should be concerned if any of the delays had been attributed to NSW Planning.

He said the site had become an eyesore for too many years.

Environment and Development Manager Andrew Muir said that infrastructure is currently being installed to service the entire development. 

MEANTIME mystery surrounds intentions for a large vacant block on the intersection of Barton and Wylde Streets in Lithgow, adjacent to the Endeavour Energy electricity sub station.

A construction site fence appeared last week around the entire block.

However a council spokesman has told the Mercury that there has been no development application for any proposed project on the site.

He said the land is owned by Mobil Petroleum and council understands that the company is simply carrying out soil testing at present.

There is no record of any petroleum company activity on the site in the past.

During World War Two the block was crowded with munitions workers hostels that later were mainly used for cheap rental accommodation until around the late 1970s when the hostels were demolished.

Mobil in recent weeks completed the clearance of its bulk fuel depot in western Main Street after ceasing operations there years ago.