Manningham Council to vote on Donvale Christian College campus in Warrandyte South on Tuesday
A Christian College in Melbourne’s east will soon find out if its grand plans to build a new campus for its Year 9 students, which has had more than 100 objections due to traffic chaos fears, get the tick of approval.
East
Don't miss out on the headlines from East . Followed categories will be added to My News.
Donvale Christian College is set to get the green light for a campus in Warrandyte South despite more than 100 objections and fears of traffic chaos in the area.
Manningham Council is likely to grant the college a permit for its proposed Year 9 campus at 58-64 Halls Rd on Tuesday based on officer recommendations.
The site is the former home of the Warrandyte South Primary School, which closed in 1995, and is presently used as a Christian youth education and training centre.
The college bought the site in late January and is hoping to open the campus at the start of 2021, once restoration works are completed.
Councillors will decide on the permit at Tuesday’s meeting and published its intensions ahead of the full agenda due to “significant community interest” in the project.
Director of city planning and community Angelo Kourambas said the application had received 106 objections and had been assessed against the provisions and merits of the council’s planning scheme.
A summary of objections identified concerns more traffic on local roads due to the creation of the campus, which would accommodate 168 students and staff.
MORE: CHRISTIAN COLLEGE STUDENTS BUSTED WITH BOOZE
There were also concerns from objectors about the roads’ narrow widths and open drains, which some believe were unsuitable for increased traffic.
Principal Tim Agrall said the school had a series of meetings with the council’s traffic planners to address the concerns raised.
Its planning application proposes on-site parking improvements to try and keep cars off Halls Rd and a new bus bay.
Mr Agrall said the school had eight staff dedicated to traffic management for pick-up and drop-off times at its main campus on Tindall Rd in Donvale.
“We are conscious that we don’t want to create bottlenecks and unsafe conditions,” he said.
“Our desire in working with council and residents is to ensure it (the site) is safe for students, where residents can continue to enjoy the life they had with us as part of their community.”