‘These people are not crack whores and paedophiles’: Boarding house to attract professionals
Despite more than 30 objections for the development of a boarding house on Beaumont street at Hamilton, Newcastle City Council have given it the green light this week.
Newcastle
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Packed with popular restaurants, cafes, retail and commercial businesses, Beaumont street in Hamilton has been seen as the ‘ideal’ location to build a boarding house of apartments.
This week a proposal for a three storey, 16 room boarding house, located two doors down from the Exchange hotel, was given backing by Newcastle City Council, noting it was ‘compliant across all required criteria’.
The development did come with more than 30 objections from local residents though, citing bulk and scale, privacy, traffic, overdevelopment, impact on heritage items and management were issues that should see the development scrapped.
There was also worry about the style of tenants that would occupy the building, but supporters of the proposal have addressed misinformation, saying it’s aimed at housing working professionals.
“The residents we interviewed were ministers of religion, teachers, people in research facilities, nurses and fireman, and we have 15 people on the waiting list for this development,” Kevin Doodney from Future Housing Taskforce said.
“Most of our tenants in these types of housing are people who just need a place to lock up their stuff, sleep when they get home. All they need is a place to call home and they don’t want to spend 75 per cent of their income on their mortgage.
“These people are not cracks whores and paedophiles.”
The development application includes the demolition of a dwelling and outbuilding which is currently on the site, erection of a three-storey, sixteen room boarding house and associated fencing.
Originally 18 rooms, amendments were made to the development in response to objections by residents and council staff. It included the reduction to 16 rooms, an increase in the number and height of fixed privacy screens along the southern boundary and removal of a carport structure at the rear of the site.
Pedestrian and vehicle access has been proposed, to provide greater separation to neighbouring dwellings and external walkways will include a mixture of privacy screens, to minimise overlooking.
Privacy screens have also been applied to the first-floor balconies to increase amenity and privacy for both the future tenants and the adjoining neighbour.
“Given the zoning and the proximity to public transport and other services, it was recommended for approval,” Deputy Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Declan Clausen said.
“The developer was quite clear about the style of tenants that they wanted to attract and listed visiting academics coming to the University of Newcastle, doctors, nurses and other professional style of incomes.
“They’re not specifically designed as affordable housing. Boarding house is just a technical classification for it.
“The vast majority of the site is for single unit people, where there is the fastest growing demand for rental accommodation in Newcastle.
“This proposal was compliant across all the required criteria, there was a minor discrepancy in height which is just above the limit, but in terms of privacy, space provided and the room sizes, it was complaint.”
Mr Doodney said management and security were also a major priority.
“They (tenants) all have house rules and if they are breached, they are no longer in those premises,” he said.
“We have the lowest crime rate because we have CCTV, on site management that allows them to enjoy a quality of life.”