There are more appropriate, commercially viable, development solutions which
would retain and enhance the Village experience for residents, business owners
and visitors alike but we must act now. There is a solution through council
consultation and a social impact study. The DA is available for viewing at
www.erskinevillevillage.org select
from the right hand drop down menu “ View DA Online”
Concerns
Village Friends is concerned
that there has not been broad community consultation. Supporting this point
spokesperson Paul Howard states ” We are advised that Council will only be writing to
residents and businesses within 25 to 75 metres of the development site. This
will mean NO Village businesses will be formally advised by Council along with
the majority of affected residents.” It is further concerned that a Social Impact Assessment has not been
undertaken. A study which would consider issues such as the impact of the
development on:
- People’s way of
life e.g. quality of life and amenities in a pedestrian friendly area in which
the surrounding area is a highly desirable and almost exclusively residential
suburb - Their community
e.g. social functioning of community, neighbourly character of the Village - Their environment
e.g. noise, traffic congestion, parking, pollution, rubbish
Providing a Voice to The Community
Village Friends Spokesperson
Paul Howard also had the following to say “As a direct result of no broad
community consultation and the lack of awareness of this proposed development
in the Erskineville / Newtown
community (local businesses, residents and home owners) we have had to take the
lead to ensure our community is informed.
Statistics : Campaign
Successes to Date
To date we have we have partly
achieved our aim of ensuring our community is fully aware of this development.
They are now in a better position to form their own opinions on the
development’s impact. Thus far:
- There are over 1,000
signatures on the village petition, - 350 signatures on our online
petition with comments from a very broad range of community members - There have been 30 plus
individual letters sent from residents to Mayor Clover
Moore and - Our website in its short
life has had over 700 plus unique hits.
”Spokesperson Victoria Rati added to this by stating “
We have been encouraged by the community response to date during this extremely
short period of campaigning. The level of support clearly demonstrates that the
community very much believes this is an inappropriate development for the
Village location in question and viable alternatives have already been
identified.
However ,much much more
needs to be done if we are to save the delightful heart and soul of Erko Village.
It is a much admired and uniquely charming community that residents, business
owners and our visitors have come to love. Whilst do not know what the precise
impact of the development would be we do know that the nature of the Village
would be changed forever. Not only would it be the biggest retail development
in Erskineville Village by far, it would be much bigger
than just about everything in King
Street Newtown
which is just astounding. “
Next Steps
Village Friends is currently
reviewing the DA (over 80 documents) and will be releasing its formal findings
on the website within a week. Stay tuned !
About Us
Our common goal is to
constructively support development that enhances Erskineville village
community for residents, business owners and visitors alike. Locals often
comment on how council initiatives have enhanced the village atmosphere while
managing the balance between noise and traffic. We believe a development on the
site known as the Hive that promotes developers interests and preserves the
positive aspects of Erskineville village is entirely possible and necessary for
the community. After making some enquiries with builders (one familiar with the
site), we believe a mixed residential/home office/retail complex is
commercially viable. But we need to find out more. What are your views? We
are interested in your views and encourage an avenue for genuine consultation.
For more information, interviews or photos, please
contact Village Friends:
By phone Victoria Rati 0404 860 036 Paul Howard 0412 435 532 John Halliday 0409 743 907 Alastair Moir 0412 046
461
By email friends@erskinevillevillage.org
By mail Village Friends, PO Box 853, Newtown
NSW