THE Newcastle Beach Hotel in Parnell Place, Newcastle East, is to be converted into 23 residential flats in a plan before Newcastle City Council on Tuesday night.
At the same meeting, councillors will hear from people concerned about a plan to raze the existing McDonald’s fast-food restauarant on Maitland Road, Mayfield, to replace it with a new McDonald’s outlet operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
The expanded new business would also require demolishing a house to the rear of the existing property, in Dora Street.
The council received 39 submissions on the development, with residents concerned about noise, traffic and the impacts, including anti-social behaviour associated with the proposed round-the-clock operation.
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The Beach Hotel, known for many years as the Novocastrian, was listed for sale in 2015 for either continued operation or as conversion to residential flats, thanks to a zoning of medium-density residential.
Council staff have recommended the council, sitting as the DA Committee, approve the application, which would convert the building to 23 flats, down from the 45 apartments initially proposed in the development.
The council’s urban design consultative group was “generally sympathetic to the proposal, on the basis that it should result in upgraded building stock (the current hotel is somewhat dated and unappealing), and more appropriate land use (residential accommodation) for this neighbourhood of the city”.
The design has one-, two- and three-storey apartments, with parking room for 23 cars and eight motor-bikes.
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Ian Kirkwood
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
Reporting journalist at the Newcastle Herald since 1987. Editorial writer, general reporter, industrial relations, industry and coal.
