Developers line up with more childcare centres in residential areas

The proposals, in Long Street and Elizabeth Street, are just a portion of the 466 additional childcare places flagged for the city.

All are designed to plug a shortfall but some are raising traffic and access concerns in predominantly residential areas.

Among the latest, Designcorp Architects has lodged a DA for a 48-place childcare centre at 26 Elizabeth Street, west Goulburn, on behalf of applicants.

The DA proposes to demolish the existing house and build a two-storey facility with three indoor and two outdoor play areas, cot room, office, staff room, kitchen and amenities. It would also include 12 at-grade car parking spaces, with seven of these accessed via Elizabeth Street and the remainder via Princes Avenue.

The $1.3 million development would accommodate 12 children aged nought to two, 15 children aged two to three and 21 aged three to six.

It plans to to employ nine staff and operate 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

The site is 897 square metres and sits opposite Sts Peter and Paul's Primary School to the south and Goulburn West Primary School to the north.

Despite the area's busyness before and after school, a traffic assessment concludes that the development won't adversely impact existing traffic or parking conditions.

"The existing traffic flows on Elizabeth Street, Princes Avenue, Knox Street and Adam Street are typical for local roads, in a mainly residential area with nearby schools, where traffic is free flowing without major queuing or delays in peak hours, with spare capacity," an assessment states.

"The estimated traffic generation from the proposed development is of low impact on existing flows on Elizabeth Street, Princes Avenue and surrounding streets and will not have adverse impacts on the current operational performance of the subject existing intersections, which will continue to operate at the same levels of service."

Traffic counts were undertaken on the aforementioned streets between 8.30am and 9.30am and 3.15pm to 4.15pm 'on a typical weekday.'

The proponents have however suggested that no-stopping signs be posted for four metres west of the new Elizabeth Street entry to "provide adequate two-way vehicular access."

Traffic and access has also been analysed at the proposed 120-place childcare centre at 26 Long Street. Proponent, Sydney-based Janssen Group, wants to accommodate 20 children aged nought to two, 30 aged two to three and 70 aged three to six.

It would employ 18 staff and operate 7am to 6pm Monday to Friday.

The DA flags demolition of all existing structures, removal of a tree and construction of a single-storey centre with one outdoor play area and five outdoors, kitchen, amenities, office and 39 car parking spaces.

The site, near the Masonic aged care facility, was previously used as a childcare centre.

A traffic assessment estimates 96 car trips in the morning peak period and 84 in the afternoon peak time.

Access would be via the Sydney Road intersection. The assessment concluded that average wait times to turn right at the intersection from Long Street were not so prolonged as to warrant an upgrade.

Elsewhere, three childcare facilities remain under council assessment. These are:

A 63-place centre at 88 Queen Street, Bradfordville, valued at $1.54m;

A 120-place centre at 130 Deccan Street valued at $2.23m;

A 115-place centre at 66 Dalley Street, Bradfordville, valued at $2.6m.

Last November, the council approved a 100-place facility at 2 Record Street, Bradfordville. Residents in Record Street and Deccan Street have spoken out about their concerns, including traffic and parking, in the residential areas.