Cumberland Council starts Pendle Hill Public Domain Plan

A western Sydney council has revealed blueprints for the revitalisation of an ageing town centre. Find out what’s in store.

Pendle Hill is due for an upgrade.

The run-down centre of Pendle Hill is to be given a facelift as part of an “overdue” Cumberland Council project.

The council has developed the Pendle Hill Public Domain Plan to revitalise the town centre in the Pendle Way, Civic Ave and Stapleton precincts with a vision to “build on the local character to create an attractive, walkable, and socially inclusive open space network with high quality public realm”.

Public art, more accessible footpaths, trees, signage and pedestrian crossings are part of the suburb’s spruce-up, which kicked off this month with the $7m upgrade of Civic Park.

After the first round of public consultation outside Woolworths on Saturday, Cumberland councillor Suman Saha said residents – particularly seniors – were ready for a change.

“I definitely think this is overdue,’’ he said.

“Lots of people came and shared their concerns with us. They are excited but at the same time they said ‘this is overdue’. They feel it’s outdated.’’

Pendle Hill’s main shopping strip, Pendle Way.

Cr Saha hopes the revitalisation will attract more diverse businesses to Pendle Way, where Indian and Sri Lankan eateries and grocery shops dominate the main drag.

There is one coffee shop but another cafe and perhaps “a roast chicken shop” could improve the variety of offerings, he said.

“The same offerings in multiple restaurants are opening but they are offering the same foods and same cuisine,’’ he said.

The first task in the five-stage project will be to upgrade the seating area at the corner of Joyce St and Pendle Way with new pavers, seats, lighting and improving the pedestrian crossing to the train station.

“I think the feedback we received from the community is that lots of people will come to the town centre but they have nowhere to sit around,’’ Cr Saha said.

The seating area is outside the bus stop.

Kerb extensions and new pedestrian crossings on Civic Ave and opposite the train

station to improve pedestrian safety are in the pipeline.

The seating area at Joyce St and Pendle Way will be freshened up.

Ambi’s Indian restaurant’s Vimalasri Gunaratnam has echoed calls for more diverse businesses and has called for another pedestrian crossing on Pendle Way, which he wants to see become a one-way street.

Another thing I’ve seen is too many people crossing the road without any care,’’ he said.

“They don’t cross in a proper place – they cross everywhere.’’

Mr Gunaratnam, who sold his business last year but still assists at the restaurant, said the suburb had “too many Indian and Sri Lankan shops” and wants the council to encourage business diversification.

Unlike Little India in Harris Park, where people visited just for the Indian cuisine, he said Pendle Hill needed different shops.

He said the council should follow a business model where he worked in Sicily that encouraged diverse businesses in an effort to control competition.

Vimalasri Gunaratnam wants Cumberland Council to make Pendle Way a one-way street and for a variety of businesses.

Pendle Hill Newsagency co-owner Irene Kong agreed more needed to be done to retain customers, who have missed out on more parking spots since the Civic Park carpark closed while the spot is being refurbished. The new carpark will only have 14 spots.

“More parking (is needed) because the people complain there’s nowhere to park,’’ she said.

“Some people want the whole day.’’

Once Civic Park’s overhaul is completed in April 2024, Cr Saha said stage one of the suburb’s revitalisation would need to be budgeted for the following financial year when the seating area at Joyce St and new public toilet at Purdie Lane would be delivered.

Cumberland councillors will also run a pop-up stall to meet the community at Pendle Way opposite the train station on Thursday June 8 from 4.30-6pm.

Input into the domain plan can be submitted before June 21.

Originally published as Cumberland Council starts Pendle Hill Public Domain Plan