40-place Granville child care centre refused over heritage and basement risks

A proposed 40-place child care centre at 9 Daniel Street, Granville, has been refused after the Cumberland Local Planning Panel found unresolved impacts on the heritage-listed building and nearby heritage items at 7 and 11 Daniel Street.

Development Application 2026/0064 proposed demolishing rear additions and outbuildings, removing trees and building a two-storey centre over basement parking. The existing heritage-listed building would have been retained, repaired and adaptively reused for ancillary child care rooms.

The proposal also included an illuminated business identification sign, a front fence, landscaping and stormwater works.

The panel found the application had not resolved the proposed works’ impact on the heritage item. It required amended drawings and supporting information addressing recommendations in a Heritage Impact Assessment peer review prepared by Nimbus Architecture and updated on 26 June 2026.

The panel also found the construction methodology lacked sufficient detail and was not clearly informed by site-specific geotechnical and structural engineering reports. It said the application did not adequately show how adjoining heritage items would be protected during excavation and basement construction near the lot boundary.

A further geotechnical report prepared with a heritage professional was required to determine whether the excavation and other works would adversely affect the heritage items at 7 and 11 Daniel Street.

The panel rejected a request for approval subject to a deferred commencement condition for a stormwater easement. It said written evidence was needed that the owner of the property affected by the easement had agreed in principle to it before the consent requirements under clause 6.4 of Cumberland LEP 2021 could be satisfied.

The proposed child care places, building works, basement parking, traffic and parking changes, landscaping and stormwater works will not be delivered under this application. Any revised proposal would need to address the heritage peer review recommendations and provide more detailed geotechnical and structural information before consent could be considered.

People who lodged submissions about the application are to be notified. Architect Chris Katris, architect’s assistant Matthew Zurlo and owner Leila Allamadine addressed the panel.