Opposition grows to two Bunnings warehouses planned for inner west
A BUNNINGS megastore that plans to use a residential street in Tempe as its main entrance for traffic has come up against a major roadblock. The hardware giant is determined to expand its footprint in the inner west as it presses ahead with another controversial warehouse planned for the Balmain Peninsula.
Inner West
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A BUNNINGS megastore that plans to use a residential street as it main entrance for traffic has come up against a major roadblock.
Tempe residents are ramping up their fight against the hardware behemoth’s plan for a $70 million warehouse set to choke local roads with up to 1109 vehicle trips an hour.
Smith St, which currently experiences 1337 trips for an entire day, will bear the brunt.
Inner West Council staff have recommended refusal due to “unresolved on-street parking concerns and traffic impacts”.
On Tuesday the council will decide whether to make a submission to the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel which will determine the project’s fate on October 18.
Smith St resident Catherine Stewart said trucks, trade vehicles and cars would further clog already congested residential streets.
“Smith St should not be used at all as an entry or exit point for Bunnings,” she said.
Residents are also deeply worried about safety, pollution, noise and light generated by the warehouse set to operate seven days a week. It will open from 6-10pm on weekdays.
The extremely narrow Union St, which many children use to walk to the Tempe schools, will become “even more of a rat run”.
Ms Stewart’s children Ruby, 12 and Max, 9 walk that way to the train station.
Bunnings’ General Manager of Property Andrew Marks said the 20,000sq m store would create 180 jobs and had been subject to an “extensive traffic review” by the Council and Roads and Maritime Services.
IN OTHER NEWS
“The proposed traffic strategy has been carefully crafted to facilitate vehicle access to and from the proposed store,” he said.
“We propose to limit the amount of vehicles using the existing Smith Street access to the site by providing an additional access point from the Princes Highway.”
About 25 per cent of traffic—and half of all heavy vehicles—will use this access point which is on the IKEA side of the site and is currently used as a loading dock for the Pretty Girl warehouse.
The heritage facade of the existing Pretty Girl fashion warehouse would be incorporated into the design.
A development application for a “similarly scaled” bulky goods development which relied entirely on access to and from Smith Street was approved in 2013.
On Thursday about 50 people attended a site meeting where Mayor Darcy Byrne and council staff fielded questions from residents. Greens Crs Col Hesse and Marghanita Da Cruz were also there.
IN OTHER NEWS
The planning panel will make a determination on October 18 at 10am at 488 Kent Street, Sydney.
About 300 people have signed a petition opposing the plan.
Rozelle Bunnings
The pushback from residents has not deterred Bunnings from trying to expand its footprint across the inner west.
The hardware giant has appealed the council’s rejection of a smaller warehouse on Parsons St, Rozelle.
The matter is now in the hands of the Land and Environment Court which held an on-site conciliation meeting on September 13. More than 100 residents attended.
The parties’ experts have until October 9 to strike an agreement otherwise the matter will go to a hearing, most likely in March or April.
The council states proposed flood management is “inadequate” while the parking and traffic impacts are “so overwhelming to the local roads network that the proposal should be refused”.
Mr Marks said Bunnings’ experts will continue working with council until ensure compliance with recommendations.
“If approved, the over 3,700 square metre store will represent a revitalisation of the current derelict industrial site and is expected to create more than 70 new jobs,” Mr Marks said.
“With specific regard to traffic concerns on Parsons Street, we have proposed to limit the size of our delivery trucks. We will also locate the parking area within the building.”