<< Peninsula News 24 September 2002 - Bensville Church proposal deferred >>

Bensville Church proposal deferred

Gosford Council has agreed to defer for three months consideration of a church proposal in Bundaleer Cr, Bensville, at the request of the church.

The council decided to defer the matter so that an acceptable plan for the site could be devised.

The Council chambers on Tuesday night, September 10, were overflowing with people interested in the proposal.

The council staff had recommended refusal of the application and church supporters had come to the council meeting to request the matter be deferred so the church could revise its application.

Residents from Bundaleer Crescent attended the meeting requesting that councillors concur with council staff and refuse the development outright.

The residents argued that a small township such as Bensville was not large enough to support a church of this type and that the church should be in a more central location.

Residents also argued that the site had inadequate drainage, planning guidelines did not allow this kind of development, and that it was a commercial development not suited to the site.

Mr Alan Reynolds spoke on behalf of the church proponents, asking that "suitable common ground" be found between residents, parishioners and council staff.

He claimed that the site fulfilled the criteria for a contemporary church according to the council's guidelines and that the primary reason for purchase of the site was for a place of public worship.

He also said that council officers led church members to believe that they were going in the right direction and were "shocked upon receiving a letter of refusal".

Mr Reynolds said: "We feel let down by the processes of Gosford Council."

Cr Craig Doyle said that the proposal needed to come back revised and in line with council regulations on character, scale, bulk and height.

Cr Doyle said: "The reason this has been brought to council is that it has been in the pipeline for a long time and this will give the church a chance to come back with a revised proposal, one whereby the church and neighbours can live in harmony.

"Part of our community fabric is the role schools and churches play.

"We have 10 reasons for refusal.

"They are good and valid reasons that need to be addressed.

"We need to look at site capacity in terms of character, scale, bulk and height, landscape buffer, traffic concessions, protecting prominent trees on the site, kerbing and guttering, footpaths.

"We need to develop it into a masterplan.

"A church is a community asset, which needs to be in a community location.

"However there is middle ground here and we need to find that ground.

"This can be a win-win situation," Cr Doyle said.

Cr Geoff Preece said: "The proponents need to know that lots of changes need to be made.

"Maybe the site isn't big enopugh for both a school and a church."

Cr Debra Wales said: "This is not about Christianity.

"It is about town planning.

"What is before us today is an over-development.

"There are residents out there who live in a rural area.

"We have to take that into consideration."

Mayor Cr Robert Bell said: "The next three months will be very challenging and the church and school may have to make a choice as to which way they want to go."

Even though it was stressed that the decision did not guarantee approval for the church, Mr Reynolds was repeatedly congratulated by supporters when the three-month extension was granted.

Jonathan Reichard, September 12