Neighbours slam David Khoban’s Box Hill North childcare proposal

A PLAN to convert a house into a childcare centre in a residential street in Box Hill North has angered surrounding neighbours. And the man behind the proposal, David Khoban, wants the centre for his own childcare needs.

The centre would be established inside the house at 13 Inglis St.

A PLAN to convert a house into a childcare centre in a residential street in Box Hill North has angered surrounding neighbours.

The owner of 13 Inglis St, David Khoban, has applied to modify the single-storey house to accommodate a childcare centre to cater for up to 20 children.

The centre would employ three staff to care for babies, toddlers and preschoolers from 7am to 6pm, Monday to Friday.

Two carparks would be offered at the front of the house, while other vehicles frequenting the centre would have to park on the street.

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Mr Khoban is seeking Whitehorse Council’s approval to reduce its carparking requirements, with three dedicated spaces normally needed for a business of this size.

A resident of the street, who did not want to be named, said the majority of people living near the property were passionately against the plan.

The centre would be established inside the house at 13 Inglis St.

He said many shared concerns about safety, traffic and parking, saying a business was inappropriate for the type of street.

“(The proposal) doesn’t suit the standards required,” he said.

Inglis St is zoned as a General Residential area in the Whitehorse Council Planning Scheme. The man said people were concerned about extra cars that would be using the “narrow” single-carriage street, and the delivery vehicles that would be required to maintain the business.

Another man living in the street, who also refused to be named, said he lived in a “small narrow, quiet residential street — not a busy main road”.

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“A commercial child care centre will ruin the peaceful character of this area,” he said.

In response to objections, Mr Khoban told Whitehorse Leader he was a single father of five young children and had had difficulty getting childcare near his home for two years.

He said a centre would benefit his children and the neighbours’ children.

Mr Khoban said the number of children under six in Box Hill North had grown rapidly but the government’s childcare provisions were inadequate.