Beecroft Shopping Centre Developments

All the shops in the Module except for IGA have now vacated.
The owners have taken the top parking area out of use and it will not be reverted to public parking before demolition commences.

Changing Government Minds

In discussions about the way the Beecroft Footbridge has been presented, and suggestions for changes, the following sentiments were expressed by one correspondent.  They sum up our experiences so well!

"I don't think there is such a thing as influencing decisions with TfNSW or RMS once some bureaucrat has decided and drawn a line on a new railway track or a new bridge.  They need to get certain projects as their legacy.  Community consultation is not what it sounds like.  It is actually notification and any number of submissions don't make any difference."  

Pedestrian Foot Bridge on Beecroft Rd

At the AGM last Wednesday, RMS gave a presentation on the proposed pedestrian foot bridge to span Beecroft Road.  The present plan is to install this to the south of the community centre, on the basis that any installation closer to the Beecroft shops is technically difficult.  Interestingly, the RMS presenters were not aware of all the new residential units, and big new shopping centre, all going in well to the north of the fire station, nor of the fact that the fire station is currently zoned to be replaced with mixed residential and commercial development. 

The questions from the audience quickly made it clear that nobody believed the bridge in this distant location will be used.  The meeting urged RMS to look again at the reasons why the bridge can't be built perhaps with its eastern end at the fire-station.  There's a nice garden on the southern end of the fire station that could be used as one end of the bridge.  Surely it would be best to install the bridge there now, while "payment" for access would be just transfer of funding between government departments.  Once the land is owned by developers it would be much more expensive to install the bridge there, where people might use it.

This extract from the RMS brochure shows the steepness of the foot paths from the proposed road bridge up to Beecroft shopping centre.

RMS seemed a bit surprised by the scepticism of the audience, most of whom are very familiar with pedestrian traffic flow across Beecroft Rd.  If the locals don't think it will be used if installed where RMS currently propose, they should reconsider.

NWRL Downsizing

Extract from a letter to the NDT:

The North Shore rail line was closed in the early evening of Tuesday 21 April 2015 between Chatswood & Hornsby due to an incident resulting from the storms & winds raining down on Sydney. Commuters were told to take the Chatswood to Epping line, as trains from the North Shore line were being diverted via the Chatswood Epping Line. This is the exact reason, apart from common sense, why the Chatswood to Epping line should not be downgraded to a single deck metro. It was needed as a fully integrated heavy rail line during this emergency. If it was a metro line, the trains from the North Shore line could not have been diverted via Macquarie Park and onto the Northern Line (for its destination to Hornsby, and back down to upper North Shore stations like Gordon & Killara).

Chapman Rd Development flooded

The problem with digging a deep hole just before cyclonic rain fall!

AGM Wednesday Night

Just a reminder, AGM is at Uniting Church Hall 82 Beecroft Rd on Wednesday 22 April at 7.30.  See the main BCCT website for more details.

DA/317/2015 - 14-18 Sutherland Road, Cheltenham

Following a request by a local resident, the time for posting submissions, initially 22 April, has been extended by 2 weeks.

Heritage Listed Church Sold

The church at 179 Beecroft Road was sold at auction for $3M today.  When we know more about the buyer, and the buyer's intentions, we will update this post.

Latest rumour is it's going to be turned into a children's nursery.

The Module Demolition Commences - or maybe not

We note that the upper car park at the Module has already been fenced off in preparation for demolition.
PMN False alarm.  Next day a cherry picker truck was parked in the fenced off area and used to take overhead photographs of the Module.  Next day the chain was removed. 

Apartment sizes increased

Land and Environment Court Justice Sheehan made a ruling in a dispute between Botany City Council and developer Botany Developments Pty Ltd over the size of 158 units in a three to six storey complex. Justice Sheehan said the widely used standard of the “rules of thumb” included in the Residential Flat Design Code was not the guideline that should be followed for minimum sizing, as set out in State Environmental Planning Policy 65, and an adjoining table in the code which lists dramatically larger sizes is the correct guideline. The table advises at least 58 square metres for a one bedroom apartment, and 91 square metres for a two bedroom apartment. Botany City Council's own development control plan lists 75 square metres as the minimum size for one bedroom dwellings.

It is noted that the Module DA allows single bedroom units of 50sqm, and two bedroom units of 61sqm.

Save the Gang Gangs

The last known breeding population of Gang Gangs are in the bush at 79 Malton Road, and are now threatened by developers.  Here Barbara Davis displays a sign that will be used to publish their plight.  The Powerful Owl also breeds in this bush area and is also endangered. 
A meeting is planned for Saturday 18 April in the park by Beecroft Railway Station, probably 10am to 12 noon.  Hornsby Shire Council has asked the NSW State Government to purchase the land for the environment.  Please come and show your support for these beautiful but sadly threatened species.



 

Beecroft Rd Church Being Sold

The beautiful old church at 179 Beecroft Rd is being sold off by HSC with what seems to be indecent haste!  The sale was first listed on the internet 30 March, and a sign went up in the street some time later, announcing the auction as being on 21 April in 50 Margaret Street Sydney.  This doesn't seem to be sufficient time for anyone who was not already aware of the pending sale to do any of the necessary steps to be able to bid.

 

The Civic Trust has written to HSC to enquire why such haste was necessary, when surely a far better price could have been obtained by better promulgating of the coming sale, and also by having the auction on site.

 

Lyne Park Play Ground

The new playground has been finished, cleverly avoiding any significant interference with the main off-leash dog park.

Rail Shutdown Weekend After Easter

A rail shutdown has been scheduled from 2am Saturday 11 April to 2am Monday 13 April. The ETTT project will take advantage of this rail shutdown in order to complete construction activities safely while there are a reduced number of trains using the network and to minimise disruption to rail customers.  Buses will replace trains.

Chapman Avenue Bridge will be closed from 7am to 7pm on Saturday 11 April and Sunday 12 April. The closure will provide safe working space for the installation of safety screens. Traffic control and signage will be in place to assist motorists to detour via Copeland Road Bridge. Please follow directions and proceed carefully.

Autumn Walk, Sunday 17 May

Meet at 2pm near the carpark at the end of Day Rd Cheltenham and return there for afternoon tea at 4.30.  
We will be crossing the creek then using the walking track from Day Rd to Pennant Hills Park, then walking back through to Azalea, Tristania, Sutherland and Malton Roads. At the end of Malton Rd, we will be talking about the bushland we have actively campaigned to save from development (see below). We then will follow the walking track along Byles Creek from the end of Malton Rd to Day Rd.  A short history talk on the suburb will also be provided by the Beecroft History Group.
 
This is a long walk with steep grades up to Pennant Hills Park and down Malton Rd. Wear walking shoes, a hat and bring water 

AGM Confirmed 22 April

AGM confirmed as at Uniting Church Hall 82 Beecroft Rd on Wednesday 22 April at 7.30.  See the main BCCT website for more details.

Concerns about construction traffic

Following a very near-miss, involving two little Arden kids nearly being squashed by a truck, the Wongala-Chapman corner site has been closed, pending a proper traffic-management plan being submitted.  The Police were present last week & apparently were appalled by the traffic issues.  There was also an issue involving a worker urinating in public.  This week the middle [Chapman Avenue] site was operating with traffic backed up and into Beecroft Road - with cars doing three-point turns to avoid local congestion.  What will happen with these three sites and the Module?  Has the Council got a plan for this - or will we just wait for the inevitable accidents and injuries?  Arden School has been pretty active about this as well.