$26 million Bunnings at Glynde rejected by Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council development panel
A LOCAL council’s development panel has knocked back a proposed Bunnings store, saying it would generate heavy traffic and hurt existing traders.
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A MULTIMILLION-DOLLAR Bunnings store planned for Glynde has hit a snag after the local council’s development panel knocked back the bid at a meeting last week.
Bunnings had lodged an application with Norwood, Payneham & St Peters Council to build a $26 million store on the corner of Penna Ave and Glynburn Rd — within a light industry zone.
But at last week’s meeting, panel members rejected the plans, saying the store would generate heavy traffic in the surrounding streets and would not be “manufacturing on a small scale”.
About a dozen residents spoke against Bunnings’ proposal at last week’s meeting.
All said the area could not cope with increased traffic, raising concerns about the potential for drivers to “rat-run” through residential streets.
Amanda Price-McGregor, speaking on behalf of Capaldo Investments, which owns Mitre 10 Glynde, said the Bunnings proposal was at odds with the council’s development plan.
“It does not meet the intent of a light industry zone (and) it will have a significant, detrimental impact on the existing bulky-goods traders in the area,” Ms Price-McGregor said.
“A large number of vehicles will avoid Glynburn Rd and that will cause rat-running in the backstreets due to the easy access of roads.”
Payneham resident Albert Lombardozzi said his family enjoyed the “quietness” of the area — and believed Bunnings’ plans threatened that.
“Motorists will use my local streets as short cuts to access Bunnings and avoid Portrush Rd,” Mr Lombardozzi said.
“I cannot fathom how our streets can accommodate the influx of traffic that will certainly accompany a Bunnings store.”
The decision comes about eight months after more than 1000 small business owners and residents signed a petition opposing the plan because of traffic concerns.
Bunnings property general manager Andrew Marks said he was disappointed with the panel’s decision and the company would now “evaluate its options”.
“We will continue to work with authorities to bring investment and jobs to Glynde,” Mr Marks said.
The store would have created about 55 fulltime construction jobs and 125 fulltime jobs once it opened and was expected to provide up to 350 on-site carparks.
Bunnings’ application for the site was made in April 2016 and came after Home Timber & Hardware closed its store on the corner of Magill and Glynburn roads in 2015.
In 2011, Woolworths announced plans for a Masters hardware store on the corner of Glynburn and Davis roads, in Glynde, but NP & SP’s development panel rejected the proposal.
It ruled that the 10m-high building would exceed the area’s two-storey height limit and the store would create too much traffic on surrounding streets.