BROULEE residents do not approve of a variation to a development consent lodged by St Peter’s Anglican College as they believe allowing traffic to flow through the quite streets of Broulee is dangerous.
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A group of residents who will be affected by the changes has come together to have their voices heard.
A decision on the modification of the existing development consent, which allows access through the gate to staff between 7am to 5pm, was deferred for councillors to attend an onsite inspection.
The council report recommended council allow the college to permit employee and service vehicle access to the school through a gate in the cul-de-sac of Caitlin Crescent.
In original development plans, the entry on Caitlin Crescent was for emergency access only and an internal link road was to be built for other vehicles wanting to access the back of the school.
Councillors attended the site at Caitlin Crescent in Broulee on Tuesday, July 29, to see the level of traffic travelling through the area at peak times.
Several members of the public are against the modification and are asking for their side of the original agreement to be fulfilled.
The original agreement stated there would be a maximum of 15 car spaces at the entrance from Caitlin Crescent and the gates would only be open for two nights a year.
Charmaine Fripp, who lives in Zanthus dive, said the street was “very quiet” at the moment because the school was trialling not using the rear gate on Caitlin Crescent.
“Nobody can use the back entrance while the trial is on but prior to that the street was busy and dangerous,” Miss Fripp said.
“P-plate drivers speed up and down here.”
Ms Fripp said the community was informed of the plans to modify the existing development consent over the summer holidays.
“We found out they wanted to change the gate access to be twenty-four-seven,” she said.
“Unrestricted use of the gate means we are unsafe anytime of the day.
“We are concerned that any traffic that comes past the round-a-bout and through our street will cause an accident.”
Cindy Johnstone has children who play in the street and said having the gate open was a “safety issue” and it “shouldn’t go ahead”.
“My kids have to cross the road to get to school,” Miss Johnstone said.
“They ride up and down the road with their friends and when the gate was being utilised all the time and the speeding kids on their p-plates came flying around the corner I was terrified.”
Peter Dunn, who lives in Candlagan Crescent, said the problem was that the college “had not fulfilled their offer in the traffic plan”.
“That offer was an internal road within the college from Train Street,” Mr Dunn said.
“All the plans are for use of Train Street and George Bass Drive.
“They are not following those plans and want to put the onus on affected streets.”
Mr Dunn believes the college is “attempting to save money” by “taking advantage” of Caitlin Crescent.
“They are disadvantaging all the quiet streets of beautiful Broulee,” Mr Dunn said.
“The whole problem will disappear if they go back to the original plan and put in the internal road.