ANOTHER bakery and café could soon be built in Bathurst.
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A development application (DA) for the businesses was lodged more than two years ago and could finally get the green light after Bathurst Regional Council initially refused the plans.
The proposal is for the same site and from the same developer seeking council consent to build a 42-room motel at 369 Stewart Street.
Like those plans, council refused the bakery and café DA earlier this year due to outstanding requests for additional information.
Council had been asking for a fire safety report to address concerns related to a new boundary that would be placed within 18 metres of an existing warehouse as the result of a proposed subdivision.
Manager of Carter Properties, Ben Hamer, explained the delay in a letter he wrote to council on behalf of the developer seeking a review of the decisions for the motel DA and the bakery and café DA.
"Upon receiving the request, we contacted our local fire services supplier and requested that they complete the required report. They agreed to organise the report. Unknown to us was that they didn't have the required skills within their organisation to complete the report and that they were subcontracting specialists from outside the Bathurst Regional Council area to complete," Mr Hamer said.
"As you will remember in the second half of 2021 was when COVID lockdowns were in full force and citizens could not easily travel outside local government areas and [were] encouraged to work from home. This meant our supplier couldn't get their subcontractors to travel, meaning that the report could not be completed on time.
"Eventually after the failure of our local fire service provider to complete the report in a reasonable timeframe we have changed suppliers to another company that has completed the required testing and provided the requested information."
Council staff have since received the fire safety report and reviewed the decision they made under delegated authority on February 7, 2022.
Staff are now recommending that the bakery and café DA be approved, but it will be up to councillors to make the final decision at the July 20 council meeting.
If approved, the existing gatehouse building at 369 Stewart Street would undergo additions and alterations to allow for the change of use to a café.
A separate building would be constructed for the bakery.
A two-lot subdivision is also part of the DA.
Access to the café and bakery buildings would be via the existing Stewart Street entrance, with a car park to be constructed to support the new businesses.
If council staff recommendations are adopted, several conditions of consent would be imposed, one of which being an upgrade to the existing property entrance.
On July 20, Councillors will also decide whether or not to approve the motel DA.
If approved, the motel would be constructed with frontage to and access via Browning Street.
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