Boost for Bellarine

Big childcare centre plan

A SEVEN-room 118-place childcare centre will be built along the Bellarine Highway if a planning application is approved.

The proposed childcare centre is the latest in a string of building applications in the growth area of Leopold and is near the $85 million Gateway Plaza development.

Melbourne urban design firm Bosco Johnson has submitted an application to the City of Greater Geelong to build the large centre on a 2392sq m site at 688 Bellarine Highway, Leopold.

If approved, the centre will accommodate a maximum of 118 children and operate from Monday to Friday between 6.30am and 6.30pm.

The single-storey centre would have an 840sq m outdoor play area and carpark with 19 spaces. The parking space application allows for six fewer spaces than usually required, but the application says a traffic impact assessment “amply justifies the proposed parking reduction”.

In the application, Bosco Johnson says the proposed centre will fill a gap for “essential use” in the “established residential community of Leopold”.

“The proposal is considered to contribute towards the local community economic viability as it creates local employment opportunities and enables parents to work,” it said.

The developers say the site is not affected by heritage overlay and will “assist in fostering economic growth and contribute to the economic viability of the community”.

The City of Greater Geelong planning application, lodged on September 27, is open for public comment until March 27.

The proposed site is next to an existing Fruit Shack and BP service station.

The MyGov website currently lists two childcare centres in Leopold.