Stay of execution for Pambula's historic Royal Willows Hotel

The announcement followed what was to be the determination meeting on Tuesday, September 20 at the Bega Civic Centre.

The SRPP was considering the DA to demolish the existing building and the construction of a new commercial building, comprising supermarket, drive through bottle shop and licensed café.

The original DA was submitted in July 2021.

Nineteen members of the public registered to speak at the meeting with five from the applicants, Jeanette and Kel Stolzenhein who own the hotel and the Pambula Foodworks supermarket, and want to move their supermarket into larger premises.

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Through the community speakers a number of issues were raised and these have been reflected in the deferral while further information is sought from council and the applicants.

Acting chair of the SRPP Renata Brooks said the decision to defer the matter was unanimous.

In asking for further information the SRPP has highlighted particular areas such as heritage issues, the appropriateness of the size of the development, the potential for a more compatible design, site contamination, traffic management issues and the proposed use of the existing shed as a temporary bottle shop.

The panel's independent heritage adviser to undertake a review of relevant documents provided by the applicant and heritage advisors to council and provide advice to the panel on:

a. The veracity and completeness of the assessments of heritage conservation matters in the context of the requirements of Clause 5.10 (1), (2), (4), (5) and (6) of the Bega Valley Local Environmental Plan 2013

b. The appropriateness of the proposed bulk, scale, form and finishes of the proposed development, in the context of the Quondolo Street Conservation Area, relevant planning controls, history of the building and issues raised by the members of the public in public meetings and submissions.

c. The potential for alternative building forms and finishes which would be more compatible and appropriate to the relevant historical context and existing built form character of the village.

The applicant to provide council within six weeks of the date of publication of this record of deferral:

a. A preliminary site investigation by an appropriately qualified person into the potential for contamination of the site including consideration of whether the site can be made suitable for the proposed use.

b. Details of the proposed use of the existing shed as a temporary bottle shop including access, servicing (deliveries and waste disposal) and parking arrangements and how this temporary use is proposed to be managed concurrently with other physical works on site.

c. Details of numbers of articulated and large rigid service vehicles which will be required to service (deliveries and waste disposal) the proposed supermarket and bottle shop on a daily and weekly basis, including management approaches to coordinating truck movements within the 7-8am morning peak.

The SRPP has asked council to prepare a supplementary report assessing the information provided within three weeks of receiving it.

READ ALSO: Demonstration against the demolition of Royal Willows Hotel

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