PLANS for a new 900-seat Plymouth Brethren meeting hall to be built on a battleaxe block near Bathurst Golf Club have been lodged with Bathurst Regional Council.
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The Bathurst Gospel Trust has submitted plans for a $2.1 million redevelopment of 13 Boundary Road.
Under the plans, the Boundary Road site and a vacant lot fronting the Mitchell Highway will be consolidated into one 12,210 square metre lot, allowing for the new meeting hall and a huge car park of more than 200 spaces.
A church building on the Boundary Road site will be demolished.
The meeting hall will be built facing the Mitchell Highway with access to the car park off Boundary Road, running along an eight-metre wide battleaxe driveway between two homes.
A Statement of Environmental Effects (SoEE) lodged with DA says the development will “enhance streetscape qualities”.
“The proposed use will not interfere with the existing commercial interface along the Mitchell Highway,” the SoEE states.
“The new church building will be located adjacent to the commercial properties, therefore, providing an increased separation from the existing residential properties on adjoining boundaries.”
While the Boundary Road frontage of the development falls within a residential area, the Mitchell Highway frontage is zoned business development.
“The property is located within two zones,” the SoEE states.
“The existing building and car park is R1-General Residential, and the proposed new building and car park is on B5-Business Development zone. [A] ‘place of public worship’ is permitted within both zones.”
Plans also show a number of bus parking bays in the car park.
“Provision for bus parking (when required) has also been provided and indicated within the car parking area,” the SoEE states.
“Sixteen car spaces will be used for bus parking, which still provides approximately 189 car spaces, which still exceeds the minimum required parking for this proposal.”