Council is inviting the community to have their say on the plans to develop Ballarat’s Bakery Hill entrance precinct.
A community information session will be held at the Ballarat Town Hall tomorrow, Tuesday 30 August at 7pm. Residents are invited to come along to view the plans and provide input into the design process.
Ballarat Mayor Cr Craig Fletcher said community consultation was an important stage for the project.
“Following on from the community consultation conducted during the development of the CBD Strategy, we heard clearly that a more appealing and welcoming entrance to Ballarat was required.
“I am looking forward to recommencing that consultation with the community. We will be working with the community to create an entrance to Ballarat’s CBD that befits a regional capital. We encourage all residents to come along and meet with Council officers to discuss the proposal”.
Consultation will also include discussion of the proposed treatment for Little Bridge Street, Curtis Street and Peel Street as proposed in the current concept.
The proposed plan includes an option to reduce traffic along Main Road between Humffray Street and Little Bridge Street to one way traffic, allowing only north bound traffic travelling from Humffray Street to Little Bridge Street*”. (see below for details of the traffic study)
A public space including grassed areas, trees, street furniture, ornamental lighting and alfresco dining areas all feature as part of the draft plans for the precinct.
The plans also include works to remove the existing car parking and rotunda in the Bakery Hill plaza to make way for an open square concept featuring an open grassed area. The existing car parking in this precinct will be relocated to the lower section of Little Bridge Street and will see an overall increase of three car parking spaces.
The works to be completed over the next two years will create a strong visual line of sight from Bakery Hill through to the Sturt Street boulevard.
The Bakery Hill entrance redevelopment was budgeted for in the 2011/12 Capital Budget. It is proposed that the project be executed over two financial years, with the first stage of works involving the Bakery Hill Plaza, car parking in Little Bridge and Bridge Streets due to get underway in early 2012.
The Bakery Hill entrance concept designs are available for the community to view on Council’s website www.ballarat.vic.gov.au
*Initial studies around the proposal to change Main Road to one way traffic, involved a weekly traffic count. The results showed the following:
- North Bound (proposed to remain open), had a seven day vehicle movement average of 2410 vehicles per day.
- South Bound (proposed closure), had a seven day vehicle movement average of 203 vehicles per day.