A $2.3 million child care centre has been approved for the former Newstead Bowling Club building on Hill Street.
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However Orange City Council's support of the development application follows seven public submissions raising concerns about parking and how the heritage of the building will be changed in its conversion to a child care centre.
The centre will provide spots for 92 children and operate from 6.30am-6.30pm Monday-Friday.
We've got a heritage building. It needs to be re-used
- Cr Joanne McRae
A 20-spot car park will be included on site however several residents' submissions said they were concerned about increased demand for on-street parking.
The work will include demolition of later and unsympathetic additions to the original building, internal alterations to reconfigure existing rooms and create learning rooms, a reception area and offices, a kitchen, stores and amenities, the addition of a new building and changing the outdoor areas to create play spaces.
It will also require the addition of a glazed balustrade along the length of the verandah and a child safety fence behind the existing street front fence.
Cr Joanne McRae said it would help ease a shortage of child care spaces in Orange and provide jobs.
"We've got a heritage building. It needs to be re-used, it needs to be adapted before it falls into disrepair. If we knock this back maybe they'll go elsewhere, put the building back on the market and it will sit vacant for another however many years," she said.
Cr Jason Hamling said its location would aid people in the CBD needing childcare.
Cr Tony Mileteo said a workable compromise had been reached in balancing heritage and re-use.
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