Pendle Hill commuter carpark sidelined reaches stalemate

Pendle Hill is set to buckle under a lack of infrastructure after the council reached a stalemate with the State Government over plans for a 130-space commuter carpark amid a building boom.

Cumberland councillor Lisa Lake near the old Scout Hall in Pendle Hill. Picture: Angelo Velardo

• Pendle Hill: More services comes with a Bond
• Pendle Hill restaurant owner pleads for better hygiene standards
• Fans flock back to Eels heartland

Pendle Hill is set to buckle under a lack of infrastructure after the council reached a stalemate with the State Government over plans for a 130-space commuter carpark amid a building boom.

Councillor Lisa Lake said the council had undergone several negotiations with Transport for NSW over building a multi-levelcarpark atop the existing one on Billabong St near Civic Park.

Councillor Lisa Lake outside the old Scout hall site where a carpark could be built. Picture: Angelo Velardo

After almost three years of consultation, Transport for NSW has declined the council’s request to further analyse the demand for parking and community consultation for commuter parking.

Carpark plans were rejected because the council did not want to provide the government with a 99-year lease of carpark land.

A multi-storey apartment complex under construction at Pendle Hill. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Cr Lake said there were also fears the multi-deck lot would be an eyesore and block entrance views of the popular park and spur the demolition of Cassia Community Centre.

The unit site opposite the carpark. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“When you look at Pendle Hill it’s only a small suburb and the town centre and Civic Park is the heart of it,’’ she said.

“Civic Park is like our Village Green up there and if you build a multi-storey car park it will completely block this sightlines between the town centre and the green space entrance.”

The preferred option would be to build the carpark where the dilapidated scout hall stands near the existing near the park.

Lisa Lake at the Scout hall site. She said a carpark there would not obscure views of the park. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“I think maybe looking at the other side of the railway station is an option too and we need to talk to Parramatta Council too,’’ Cr Lake said.

“The whole area’s crying out for parking.’’

Cr Lake requested a council report to see if the parking was feasible.

Cr Grove said he would look into expanding the commuter carpark at Wentworthville for South Wentworthville and Greystanes residents, particularly shift workers who must drive to reach Pendle Hill or Wentworthville train stations.

“The residents in my ward have no station so everyone in Greystanes has to commute by bus or car to use the railway network,’’ he said.

The Billabong St carpark at Pendle Hill. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“The last thing I want to see is us putting this in the too-hard basket.

“My No. 1 priority is to keep the discussions going for the community for a multi-storey carpark in Pendle Hill.

More unit will be built opposite the complex at Pendle Hill. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“It’s a fact of life when you come to Greystanes you know you’re not going to be near a train station. Realistically, most commuter carparks fill up well and truly before the peak hour.”

Greystanes resident Allen Pavlek is forced to park his car at Warman St at Pendle Hill, slightly under 1km from the station because the Civic Park carpark fills before 7am.

Allen Pavlek has given up on trying to park at Billabong St despite it being closer to Pendle Hill train station.

“Rarely, I come early … but I’ve given up on that,’’ he said.

“I have a brother-in-law who lives right on the edge of Greystanes and he wakes up at 5am. “He parks there but … he’s one of the first 50 cars to do that. I can’t compete with people like that.”

Concerned Pendle Hill resident Jeanette Frost.

Crippling parking woes could soon be inflamed. Opposite Civic Park carpark, a multi-storey development is under construction at the corner Civic Ave and Billabong St, already a bottleneck filled with residents and shoppers’ cars.

Pendle Hill resident Jeanette Frost said there were too many units and not enough parking.

“They’ve closed the streets to two-hour parking even though they said they want to encourage people to catch trains,’’ she said.

A carpark could be built near the scout hall. Picture: Angelo Velardo

“Most units don’t say you have to park three-four cars, they just say one.”

Pendle Hill is in the Wentworthville ward, which is the fastest growing part of the Cumberland local government area.

Seven Hills state Liberal MP Mark Taylor said though his seat did not cover the Cumberland council area, he would “certainly request that Transport for NSW recommence consultation with Cumberland Council in the new term of Parliament”.

“I am working with City of Parramatta Council and the Minister for Transport and Roads in an effort to provide additional commuter parking around Pendle Hill railway station,” he said.