Parking Issue central to Beecroft Development

The editor of this blog thinks one of the most important issues in the Housing Strategy's plans for Beecroft is that of parking, yet that seems to be largely ignored in the document.

Each 5-storey mixed use development will have one level of underground parking, which will presumably just serve the residents in the three or four residential levels, plus maybe some of the staff working in the lower retail levels. One assumes these will be private parking spaces, not available to the public. Will there be spaces there for visitors, even?

All this needs to be clearly explained before residents of Beecroft and Cheltenham can properly evaluate the proposal to authorise redevelopment of the Beecroft Village.

It seems likely that the Module and the adjacent car park could be the first area redeveloped, into 5 storey mixed residential units with no compensating arrangements for more car parking. Loss of the Module open air car park would, in my opinion, kill the village as a community centre, except for those who live in the flats above or who can walk to the village. Anyone who can drive would go to places with proper large public car parking under or beside the shops. With an estimated 488 new flat-dwelling residents, the life that so many in our community have grown to love would surely disappear.

We need much more information than seems to be available so far, and the proposed two week exhibition starting 1 March is just totally inadequate to enable the residents of Beecroft and Cheltenham to form an opinion for or against the proposal.