Plans for a new childcare centre catering to the growing population in Brown Hill have been lodged with the City of Ballarat.
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The proposal, for a site at 40 Water Street, would also incorporate a small swimming pool if approved.
Details from documents lodged with the council's planning department show the development would include a child care centre measuring 874 square metres, alongside an outdoor play area measuring 880 square metres, and a pool (163 square metres).
The planning proposal, which was put together by Tract Consultants on behalf of a company called Outlook Property Ltd, say the childcare will "help support the growth of Brown Hill and provide employment opportunities to residents of Ballarat."
Under the proposal submitted, the childcare centre would be open from 6.30am until 6pm, five days a week.
According to the application, "the proposed use is expected to generate a need for around 20 carers to supervise 114 children with two administration staff members".
There would be five childcare rooms. The indoor recreation area would operate from 8am to 6pm, seven days a week.
Designs are for a one-storey building with "generous setbacks", an approach the submitters say was developed "to strike an appropriate balance between the desire for a more intensive development on the site, as well as respecting the surrounding neighbourhood character."
The total area of the site is 4,050 square metres. The site is within a general residential zone.
In other growth areas of Ballarat, there have been a number of other childcare centres plans put forward recently. Three large centres have either opened or are underway catering to the expanding population to the west.
While Brown Hill is not seeing quite the same expansion rate as the urban growth zone to the west of Ballarat, there have been a number of significant developments in the area.
To the north of the Western Freeway in particular, there has been a huge growth in the number of houses, with several major subdivisions and developments recently completed or in progress.
The Water Street site is currently being listed for sale for $895,000, with the estate agent calling it "a great opportunity to purchase a high profile corner site with development potential that is being offered for sale for the first time in 34 years."
- For more details on the application, see the City of Ballarat's planning site at https://eservices.ballarat.vic.gov.au. The application number is PLP/2021/102.
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