Drummoyne: Lyons Rd residents speak out over plans for new Woolworths drive-through store

Woolworths wants to spend $4.3m building a drive-through pick-up store in a move it says will reflect changing shopping habits in the post Covid environment. But not everyone is supporting the concept.

An artist’s impression of the new store.

Supermarket giant Woolworths is facing resistance from residents over plans to open a new direct to boot pick-up store in a Sydney town centre.

A surge in online shopping has prompted the retailer to launch a $4.29m proposal to build a new pick-up and local distribution store in Drummoyne.

Up to 100 customers a day would be able to collect their groceries at the outlet, located at the former Caltex service station at 191-195 Lyons Rd.

The drive-through would not be attached to any Woolworths store but instead provide a site where customers could make online orders and then collect them in an allocated time window.

Concept plans show the store would have 10 dedicated parking bays for customers to wait while their goods are loaded into their vehicles by Woolworths staff.

A concept image of the store.

The store would operate from 7am to 10pm, seven days a week.

Fabcot – the development arm of Woolworths – state in plans the store would address the shift in customer shopping behaviour brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.

The site would back on to homes in Drummoyne.

“This model is in response to a sustained increase in online shopping that is seen among the existing supermarket network, particularly in metropolitan areas,” the plans state.

“The recent Covid-19 pandemic has further highlighted the importance of online shopping to make available essential household groceries in a reduced risk environment.

“(It also) significantly reduces a customer’s time on site when compared to a typical supermarket offering where customers may take between 45-60 minutes to finalise their purchases.”

The proposal has sparked concerns from residents with the bulk of objections centred on traffic impacts on Lyons Rd.

A concept image of the outlet.

“Given that this is a pick-up only this will only increase the traffic we are experiencing,” resident Rebecca Sherlock wrote in a submission.

“This area already has too many Ubers drivers servicing restaurants. Lyons Rd is very congested – this depot pick-up location will only increase the congestion,” resident Jeremy Locke added.

Other submissions questioned the “necessity for this facility to be built in a small suburb”.

Ashley Ibarburu in a submission stated “a smaller green grocer would be far more appropriate”.

The proposal has included a plan of management aimed at address potential impacts on the community including noise, traffic and “anti-social behaviour”

“There will be a cap on the number of orders per hour to ensure there is sufficient space to manage queuing activity,” the plans state.

“Should customers arrive early or late, there will be sufficient queuing behind the dedicated car spaces to allow for multiple deliveries.

“The proposed development is suitable for the site and is in the public interest.”

Plans show the development is expected to generate about 340 car movements each day. All vehicles, including delivery trucks, would access the site via Barney Rd.

Construction works for the store also include a loading dock, waste collection area, landscaping works, fencing and Woolworths signage.

Plans have been lodged to Canada Bay Council and are currently under assessment.

The site is currently owned by Transport for NSW and has been leased to Fabcot as part of an agreement signed in December 2021.