A new church will be built in burgeoning Cameron Park after the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel approved the Salvation Army's plans for the $12 million development.
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The application to build a church on the corner of George Booth and Portland drives received unanimous support from the five-delegate panel at a meeting in Speers Point last week.
The development, to be located next to a residential aged-care facility, includes a 450-seat church, village green and suite of associated amenities.
The future church has been granted approval to operate between 7am and 10pm, seven days a week, and will likely host a range of Salvation Army operations, including church administration, kids playgroup, prayer meetings, youth events, counselling, education programs and worship services.
The approved development has 114 on-site car spaces, including three for disabled parking.
Documents submitted as part of the application suggest fortnightly church services are expected to attract about 200 people.
Major events attracting more than 300 people, like weddings and funerals, are expected to be held only a few times per year.
A condition of consent has capped the facility to hosting a maximum 342 people.
The 2.7 hectare site will have vehicle access from Craighill Crescent.
Residents of Craighill Crescent had called for access from Portland Drive in submissions, but access through the crescent had already been approved as part of the aged-care facility's development application in December, 2018.
Lake Macquarie council had recommend the place of worship development be approved ahead of the regional planning panel meeting.
The Newcastle Herald understands the Salvation Army will not immediately proceed with building the church and will wait for the area's population to grow.
Hunter area officer Mark Everitt said the site had appealed to the Salvation Army due to the surrounding area's growing population.
"The Salvation Army recognises that Cameron Park is an area of continuing expansion and we are excited at the prospect of having a positive community presence in the future," he said.
Cameron Park has emerged as one of Lake Macquarie's fastest-growing suburbs in recent years.
Thousands of people have moved into the suburb on the back of multiple land releases over the past decade.
Land opposite the church on the western side of Portland Drive is set be home to be a shopping centre, fast-food restaurants and a service station.
Construction on the Woolworths-anchored Cameron Park Plaza began in August.
A development application for another 381-lot subdivision, dubbed Cameron Grove South, on the southern side of George Booth Drive, was lodged in July.
The Herald reported in August how more than 5000 residential lots were either in planning, or had been recently created, across north-west Lake Macquarie.
