Best retirement village design for Global Awards shortlisted
LONDON: The shortlist for the best retirement village design has been declared.
Over 250 designs have been considered by the awards secretariat. One of the finalists in this category is shown below.
Almost a year after it quietly lodged plans to radically redevelop its crumbling retirement village at Bateau Bay, nearly quadrupling its size with four-storey buildings and a 160-bed residential aged care facility, Uniting has filed new plans with Central Coast Council.
It comes after the first proposal resulted in widespread condemnation from surrounding residents who quickly mobilised their opposition and hired their own town planner to rebuke the sheer scale of the redevelopment.
Following a 68-day public exhibition period Uniting was hit with a request for additional information (RFI) from council and the Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel outlining 48 concerns.
Among them included a need to reduce the impact with adjoining properties along Lakin St, a more sympathetic approach to the character of the area, retain more trees, less density and more community consultation.
Uniting has hit back with new plans it says should leave residents with no more option to complain.
“The revised development, with reduced heights, increased setbacks and enhanced landscape to respond to the character of the surrounds, results in an outcome that sits comfortably within the site’s context,” Uniting states in its response to the RFI and public submissions.
“There are no unreasonable impacts that will result from the revised development.”
The Global Award winner will be announced in December in London. (Globals)
