Childcare centre Erina Heights: DA for The Entrance Rd approved by planning panel

A decision has been made on a massive childcare centre on The Entrance Rd in Erina Heights – just 4km down the road from another centre under construction.

A massive childcare centre has been approved at a former dog boarding kennel facility in Erina Heights.

The development application (DA) for the $1.5m childcare centre to be built at 396 and 404 The Entrance Rd has been given the green light by the Central Coast Local Planning Panel which handed down its decision on Tuesday.

The proposal came before the panel due to the number of community objections, however Central Coast Council recommended that the centre be approved.

At the panel meeting last week, there were no speakers against the DA.

The panel approved the childcare centre as it complied with local planning rules and there were no adverse impacts on the environment or surrounding areas.

Artists impression of the two storey centre.

The site of the proposed centre on The Entrance Rd.

It comes as construction is underway on another huge 103-place childcare centre just 4km up the road in Wamberal. The $3.2m childcare centre, approved in April 2021, is being built at 2 High Valley Cl.

The Erina Heights DA is a 120-place childcare facility with a two storey centre, deck and outdoor play areas, indoor play areas, 45 carparking spaces, disabled access and landscaping.

Single driveway access is proposed on the eastern side of the site off The Entrance Rd.

The childcare centre will have children aged 0 to five, along with 25 staff. The centre would operate from 6.30am-6.30pm.

Artists impression of the 103-place childcare under construction 4pm up the road in Wamberal.

The site, owned by Kalra Chauhan Group Pty Ltd, currently has a dog kennel and house.

The DA received 46 submissions highlighting issues such as traffic impacts on the already busy The Entrance Rd, the development being out of character for Erina Heights and the childcare centre being affected by the smell of the nearby poultry farm.

Due to concerns, the applicant made a number of changes to the proposal in late 2020 including relocating the outdoor play area to the northern side of the building, deleting the second access driveway on the western side, and changes to the carparking layout.

Plans have been changed to include one driveway access point from The Entrance Rd.

Current view of the site from the driveway.

Transport for NSW did not objected to the proposal, while a traffic and parking obtained by the applicant stated that “there is spare capacity in the traffic volumes in The Entrance Road to accommodate the additional traffic generated by the proposed development”.

Council staff have stated that the DA was compatible with neighbouring residential development and the character of the area, would be bordered by perimeter landscaping and security fencing and also include acoustic measures to minimise noise.