Pittwater LIfe December 2019 Issue

News
Newport facing expansion challenge
Newport Kindergarten has become a
casualty of the push to create more
dwellings to accommodate a growing
population on the upper northern
beaches, announcing it will close its
doors at Christmas.
The forced closure comes as developers
increasingly eye off opportunities
across Newport Village and the suburb’s
surrounds, with two significant
Development Applications lodged with
Northern Beaches Council in recent
weeks.
If approved, the two developments
would see 32 dwellings and 94 offstreet
car parking spaces added to the suburb’s
population footprint.
Newport Kindergarten’s owners said
their facility would shut its doors permanently
on December 25, leaving 11 staff
without jobs and forcing dozens of families
to find a new kindergarten for their
children in 2020.
Owners Amber Bernauer and David
Williams wrote to parents in late November,
telling them they had only recently
been told the building they leased for the
kindergarten at 7 Queens Parade had been
sold, with the new owner wanting to use
the site as a display unit for its real estate
development.
NEW DWELLINGS PLAN: Beaconsfield Rd, Newport.
In late November, developers lodged a
DA for a site comprising lots 5, 7, 9 and 11
Queens Parade and 60 and 62 Beaconsfield
Road, with plans for 18 new threebedroom
dwellings and car parking for
43 vehicles. (The site currently has seven
dwellings across the six lots.)
The projected development cost was
almost $20 million.
Ms Bernauer and Mr Williams apologised
to families for the short notice and
the inconvenience, adding: “We would
like to take this opportunity to thank our
amazing team for their dedication and
loyalty, we will be proactively supporting
them over the coming weeks as they seek
employment elsewhere.”
Also last month, developers lodged a
DA with NB Council to build 14 units
(eight single level, six two-storey) plus
eight retail spaces on the corner of
Robertson Road (153 and 155 Barrenjoey
Road). Additionally, 51 off-street
parking places are sought.
Total cost projection was $7 million.
The Newport Residents Association
(NRA) told Pittwater Life that while it
welcomed a modern development of
the site it believed the new proposal
was “too intensive”.
“A smaller number of units would
be preferable, giving more floor space for
each,” said NRA President Gavin Butler.
The NRA strongly opposed the removal
of the mature native gum on Robertson Rd.
The NRA also noted that during the
construction phase the developers wished
to remove approximately eight Robertson
Rd parking spaces.
“We believe this will have a major impact
on the Robertson Rd businesses and
cafes and alternatives should be explored.
“Also, whilst the traffic report suggests
that the provision of 51 car spaces in the
proposal will not cause undue impact on
the Robertson Rd traffic, we find this hard
to accept given this is a narrow plaza-type
street and the entrance is opposite cafes
and parking for those cafes.” – Nigel Wall
12 DECEMBER 2019
The Local Voice Since 1991