By LAURA WAKELY
HARDWARE company Bunnings has been given the green light to expand its Sunshine store despite objections from Phoenix St residents.
The hardware giant applied to increase its floor space and relocate the outdoor nursery and bagged goods canopy from the east to the west side of the main building, with the main warehouse area extended to the north and east of the site.
But residents are concerned about the plan to relocate the existing Phoenix St access point for trucks from the Garnet St intersection, which would see it positioned across from residents’ driveways.
The proposal attracted eight objections and a petition signed by 11 people, who are also worried about increased traffic and truck deliveries, additional noise and neighbourhood disturbance.
“We can’t have visitors, there’s nowhere for them to park,” one resident said.
“And why does the driveway have to be in front of another driveway?”
Administrator Meredith Sussex recognised the concerns of residents but said “stringent conditions” in the permit, which include limiting the hours of deliveries to and from the site and an acoustic barrier, should prevent any issues from occurring.
Ms Sussex said the level of enforcement from the council planning team should give residents greater confidence that council would act on any breaches of the Bunnings permit.
She urged residents to speak up if they felt conditions of the permit were not being met.
Star contacted Bunnings for comment but received no response before going to print.
