Royal Willows DA to be decided, public meeting date announced

The Southern Regional Planning Panel, which is the determining authority for the DA has announed that there will be a public meeting on Tuesday, September 20, 2022 at 2.15pm at the Bega Valley Commemorative Civic Centre, Zingel Place, Bega.

The original DA was submitted in July 2021.

The announcement follows the Planning Panels receipt of Bega Valley Shire Council's assessment report in response to questions posed about the development by the public. A total of 115 submissions and two petitions were received during the entire exhibition period.

Council said its report provided an assessment of the DA, including on those issues the Planning Panel raised in its record of briefing December 7, 2021.

"This assessment makes a recommendation for the Southern Regional Planning Panel to approve the development subject to the imposition of conditions and advisory notes," council said.

"Based on the detailed assessment of the proposal against Section 4.15, it is considered that the development is appropriate, would be of benefit to the local community and is worthy of support," council added in its report.

Many people were upset by the look of the proposal particularly the size of the development.

Some modifications have been made to the original plan including to the facade to reduce the size when viewed from the street - although the overall size of the building and site have not changed. There is also a reduction in car parking spaces.

READ ALSO: Demonstration against the demolition of Royal Willows Hotel

This follows a further review of the development by council's current heritage advisor who recommended refusal of the DA in its original form because of the "unacceptable negative impact of the current design on the heritage significance of Pambula's main street".

The heritage advisor suggested a number of changes to to make the overall look more acceptable and was blunt in an assessment of the proposal.

"It is clear from historical photos that the hotel has been through numerous (actually five) architectural style phases. Yet I consider the current proposed (sixth) tilt slab style to be the worst.

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"During inspection I recommended a more conservative design for the street frontage and roofs, recreating more of the existing building forms and details that make the current building visually interesting and attractive to the public," the heritage advisor said.

The advice included a slightly reduced height version of the current parapet and frontage as two bays, rather than trying to "stretch" the current frontage and the circular peak of the parapet to be reduced to a more compact half-circle.

It was suggested that the attractive verandah corner detail be retained by replacing the carport with a return verandah or side awning.

However in response Phillip Leeson Architects said it would result in "an assemblage of a various periods and influences" preferring the development to be influenced by a single period (the Interwar period).

"Rather than reproducing a version of the Royal Willows Hotel which is not heritage listed, the proposed development references the design of the nearby, Interwar period shops which are heritage listed," Phillip Leeson Architects said.

During the exhibition period, it was detailed through a number of submissions that the site previously contained a fuel dispenser from an underground fuel tank.

The applicant has confirmed that an underground fuel tank exists on-site which would require detailed site investigation prior to the commencement of construction works. If site contamination is confirmed, the investigators would make recommendations for the appropriate management of the underground tank (such as removal) and any contaminated soils.

Documents will be available at planningportal.nsw.gov.au/planningpanels. To register to speak at the meeting, contact the Planning Panels secretariat before 4pm on Friday, September 16 on 02 8217 2060 or email enquiry@planningpanels.nsw.gov.au. Anyone may attend the meeting to observe.

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