Plans for a Seniors Living development at the former Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (OLSH) convent in Bowral drew a mixed reaction from about 70 residents at a meeting on Monday night.

Property developer Australand and Australian Unity Retirement Living Services plan to build up to 300 two and three-bedroom units and a nursing home with up to 153 beds on the 17ha (42 acre) site at the corner of Kirkham Street and Centennial Road.

The development would also include a “well-being centre” offering services such as day respite care and rehabilitation to the public as well as its residents.

Australand NSW New Business manager Richard McLachlan said the project would help to meet a 1500-bed aged care shortfall predicted in Bowral by 2011.

About 34 per cent of Bowral's population is over 55 years of age, compared with the state average of 24 per cent, and 11.4 per cent of the town's population is over 75 years of age, against a state average of 6 per cent.

“What we are offering is a level of service that does not exist in the area, close to services, in a community where need is going to become extreme in the next five to 10 years,” he said.

Neighbouring residents expressed concern about the ability of the roads and bridges in the area to cope with increased traffic, especially the narrow wooden bridge over Centennial Road and the Kirkham Street railway bridge.

Residents were also concerned about the lack of a footpath to the town centre and for the safety of older drivers on a road used by truck from the Bowral brickworks.

They questioned whether the majority of local residents would be able to afford the services of the retirement village and well-being centre and whether there would be enough doctors in the town to cope with the additional demand.

But others argued that the proposal would generate less traffic than the previous plan for a 600-student sch