$26m Bunnings at Glynde rejected ... again

PLANS for a $26 million Bunnings warehouse in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs have been knocked back for the second time in less than 12 months.

• The first time: Glynde Bunnings rejected by council
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• Bunnings lodges plans for $45m store in Edwardstown
• Thousands rally against Panorama Bunnings

PLANS for a $26 million Bunnings warehouse in Glynde have been knocked back for the second time in less than 12 months.

Norwood, Payneham & St Peters’ development assessment panel last night rejected the hardware’s giant application to build the store on the corner of Penna Ave and Glynburn Rd.

An earlier proposal for the store — similar to Bunnings’ Kent Town outlet — was rejected by the same panel in May last year.

Panel member John Minney, also a NP & SP councillor, said increased traffic would put a significant strain on other businesses in the area.

“The problem I have on the site is that it is a light industrial and it is never been envisaged for retail,” Cr Minney said.

“Any additional traffic movements put in there, especially heavy vehicles, will really compromise the nature of the area.”

A report to last night’s meeting said the new plans essentially replicated those rejected last year, also on the basis of traffic concerns and the fact it was out of character with the area.

Plans for the outlet were also lodged with the panel in January this year, but withdrawn before members had a chance to consider them.

“The zoning in this area has not changed and I can’t see how I could reach a different view on that,” panel member Phil Smith told last week’s meeting.

“This is still an industrial zone and I don’t think it is for me to decide if this area should be rezoned.”

It was not known if the company would proceed with plans for a distribution outlet at the site.

Under those plans — approved by NP & SP’s assessment panel in August last year — bulk goods would be brought to the centre, repackaged and then transported to other stores.

It would not include a retail component.

Bunnings first announced plans for an outlet in Glynde in 2016, sparking more than 1000 small business owners and residents to sign a petition opposing the development.

Glynde Mitre 10 owner John Capaldo, who started that petition, did not respond to the Eastern Courier Messenger’s request for comment.

In 2011, Woolworths announced plans for a Masters hardware store on the same site.

The development panel also rejected that proposal, saying the 10m building would exceed the area’s height limit.

Bunnings property general manager Andrew Marks was disappointed by the panel’s decision.

He said the hardware giant would explore other development opportunities for the site.