Boarding house planned for 17 Tennyson St Parramatta faces opposition

Boarding houses are a “massive, massive, massive’’ problem in a western Sydney suburb, says a resident leading a fight to have a 19-room dwelling rejected.

Kaye Fraser at Irving Street Reserve with her grandson Charlie Cox and residents who oppose a boarding house in the neighbourhood. Picture: Angelo Velardo

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Parramatta residents are objecting to the building of double-storey boarding house in their family-friendly neighbourhood.

Kaye Fraser said the house, earmarked for 17 Tennyson St, would be inappropriate because it was too big for the block and near a Irving Street Reserve where children frequently played.

Plans for the house, which were first submitted last December, were modified and halved from four storeys to two and from 34 rooms to 19 with basement carparking.

This dwelling at 17 Tennyson St will be demolished for a two-storey boarding house if it is approved. Picture: Angelo Velardo

But Mrs Fraser said there were concerns over the kind of tenants who would live in the boarding house.

“Boarding houses area a massive, massive, massive issue,’’ she said.

“Boarding houses in Parramatta and other areas are out of control. Parramatta Council knows they’re out of control. There springing up everywhere because if you can’t build high-rises you don’t build units, you build boarding houses.

Ellen Nikolakopoulos, 9, plays at the Irving Street Reserve in Parramatta, not far from the boarding house. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“I think everyone in the neighbourhood, whether they have children or not, feels like that.’’

Mrs Fraser said she hoped the application would face the same fate as recently-rejected boarding houses at Fennell St North Parramatta and Campbell St, Northmead.

Katie Fraser with her baby Charlie Cox, Lindy Whitbread, Kaye Fraser, Jasmin Kukic, Louise Nikolakopoulos and Dean Lukic object to the boarding house being close to where many children live. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“Everyone knows if this was the inner city or eastern suburbs they wouldn’t stand for it,’’ she said.

A Parramatta Council spokeswoman said it was assessing the application, which would be determined at a Parramatta Local Planning Panel meeting on November 19.

Kaye Fraser’s grandson Charlie Cox, 22 months, plays at Irving Street Reserve. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“During the assessment process, the applicant elected to reduce the size of the development significantly to ensure that the proposal is in character with the surrounding area,’’ she said.

“Council will consider all of the concerns raised by the objectors in relation to this development in its assessment report, which will go to the Local Planning Panel for determination.”