Lauderdale residents are on the cusp of getting their first full-line supermarket, with council planners recommending approval of a $26.3 million Woolworths development more than a decade in the making.
The proposal from Fabcot, Woolworths’ property development arm, will go before a special Clarence City Council meeting on Monday night.
If approved, it would fill a long-standing gap in the local retail market, with the nearest major supermarket currently a Coles at Glebe Hill Village, about six kilometres away.
The new Woolworths would be built on a vacant two-hectare site at 438 South Arm Road.
The land has sat empty since its days as a plant nursery, despite a near-identical supermarket winning approval in 2015. That permit lapsed in 2017 without a sod being turned.
The supermarket itself would span 3,800 square metres, exceeding the council planning scheme’s 3,500-square-metre cap for a single tenancy.
Planners assessed the breach against performance criteria and concluded it was acceptable.
Alongside the supermarket, the development includes 10 specialty shops and three larger tenancies.
Trading hours are proposed from 7am to 11pm, seven days a week. The store is expected to employ about 74 people.
An economic impact assessment by consultants LocationIQ forecast trading impacts on existing centres of up to 10%, which it described as within the normal competitive range.
Council planners said, while not an assessment criteria under the planning scheme, the development would not undermine the viability of supermarkets at Shoreline, Eastlands or Glebe Hill.
Eight public representations were received, with concerns raised about the impact on smaller Lauderdale grocers including TCM Market and Hill Street, as well as pedestrian safety and traffic.
Pedestrian safety proved the most contentious issue, prompting the applicant to defer an earlier hearing on April 27.
Under a revised plan, the South Arm Road entrance has been moved about 10 metres further into the site and a raised ‘wombat’ crossing will be installed across the driveway.
The Department of State Growth has signed off on the new access design.
Mayor Brendan Blomeley told Pulse the changes had produced “a far superior outcome for the community”.
“From council’s perceptive, our key focus and responsibility are to ensure this growth is well-planned, safe and sustainable, supporting local needs while respecting the character and existing amenities in the area,” he said.
Councillors will consider the application on Monday.
