'A fantastic future legacy': Councillors back height amendment for medical centre

Councillor Andrew Smith's comments at Wednesday night's ordinary meeting were said to have hit the nail on the head as Bathurst Regional Council determined the fate of the proposed Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre (BIMC).

Following a two-hour public forum, during which time 25 speakers addressed the BIMC agenda item, council resolved to adopt an amendment to the Local Environment Plan (LEP) that would permit the proposed facility to be built at a height of 29 metres and to have a floor space ratio of 2.6:1.

The decision would also allow the associated car park to be built at a height of 21 metres.

While the LEP will be amended to reflect these site and purpose-specific planning controls, council's decision does not approve the development to proceed.

That decision needs to be made at a state level.

Councillors had to weigh up the feedback received at the public forum alongside the recommendation from council staff to adopt the amendment, and prior community consultation that found 59 per cent of submissions supported the change to the planning controls.

READ MORE: Bathurst Integrated Medical Centre team unveils concept plans for $70m CBD hospital

During debate at the ordinary meeting, it was clear some councillors were conflicted over what decision to make.

Ultimately, the vote was seven-two in favour of the amendment, in line with the recommendation from council's planning staff.

The two councillors who did not support the amendment were Kirralee Burke and Jess Jennings, with the latter advocating for a decision to be deferred until council had more information, particularly in relation to how the car park would be funded.

Cr Jennings had also called for the BIMC to be co-located with the public hospital.

While Cr Smith felt the majority of the community supported the development in the proposed location, he acknowledged that it wasn't a unanimous view.

However, he also felt that it was possible to mitigate people's concerns.

He said the 48-page report prepared by council staff, which included over 1000 pages of attachments, should give the community "absolute confidence" that the recommendation to adopt the LEP amendment was "very measured and informed".

"I am absolutely proud of Bathurst's heritage and commit to ensure we honour and preserve the history, but with this past comes a future and I feel this proposal will ensure a fantastic future legacy for Bathurst's medical care," Cr Smith said.

"... Yes, it's a six-storey high building, but the slope of the site's block will help reduce the impact to the heritage of the CBD.

"I have absolute confidence that, with the recommendations from the staff design and review panel meeting, the developers will ensure the heritage of Bathurst is front and centre in the amended design for the outcome."

Should the integrated medical centre itself be approved, Cr Smith said it will eventually reduce the pressure on the public hospital system.

Cr Warren Aubin later said that Cr Smith's speech "nailed it" and urged councillors to support the amendment.

Cr Marg Hogan also touched on the height and heritage concerns in her address.

She said the design excellence principles included in the draft clause for the LEP must be considered by the developers.

"If the height and the bulk of these buildings is managed in such a way that it provides the community with a building that achieves design excellence, that creates an active street frontage with generous and attractive landscaping, that provides much-desired medical services, that builds an argument for tall, mature street trees throughout our city centre, that builds an argument that encourages active transport, that sends a message Bathurst is a progressive regional city, and that ultimately contributes to making Bathurst a vibrant livable city, does this development take us a step in that direction?" Cr Hogan said.

"I actually believe it can."

Council will now forward the BIMC planning proposal to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment for gazettal.

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