A 42-PLACE childcare centre will be built on a residential street in Eglinton under a proposal currently before Bathurst Regional Council.
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Hanna’s Childcare Developments has lodged a development application to knock down the existing home, garage and outbuilding at 23 Park Street – next door to the Eglinton Store.
In its place will be built a new single storey childcare centre along with associated infrastructure.
“The aim of the centre is to meet community demand for high quality care that is intimate and homely,” the developers say in the DA.
“ … Through play based learning and intentional teaching, the educators will explore the learning outcomes specified in the Early Years Learning Framework with all the children, by planning for them individually and as a group.”
Council planning staff have recommended conditional approval for the DA which will come before council on Wednesday night.
Noise concerns remain the major sticking point with the planned childcare centre to be immediately adjacent to homes on both Park Street and Lamont Place to the rear.
An acoustic report by Renzo Tonin & Associates found noise levels from the outdoor area of the childcare centre were likely to exceed allowable standards in the backyard of three neighbouring properties.
But a report to councillors by environmental planning and building services director Neil Southorn says the developer can take measures to mitigate the problem.
These include raising the rear boundary fence from 1.8 metres to 2.4 metres; installing a capped timber with no gaps for noise to pass through; and limiting the number of children playing in the outdoor area at any one time.
According to the DA, the childcare centre will accommodate up to 12 children aged up to two years of age, 10 children aged two to three, and 20 children aged three to five.
The centre will be open from 7am-6pm Monday to Friday and employ seven full-time staff.
