SUTTON Forest Inn owner Richard Field says he is keen to get started on a 70-bed motel and conference centre at the historic hotel, following Wingecarribee Council's approval of the reduced development this week.
Mr Field said yesterday he was relieved to have a decision at last but expressed some disappointment at the number of rooms approved, after councillors rejected planning staff's recommendation for approval of 90 rooms.
"At least I know I can put a peg in the ground now after three years," he said.
"We are committed to delivering a creative and attractive development for the village of Sutton Forest."
At its meeting on Wednesday, council approved development of 70 units in up to eight buildings, down from 100 units in 10 buildings in the original application.
The applicant will be required to reduce two of the remaining buildings to single-storey and prepare a plan of management covering the hours of operation and length of stay.
With Cr David Stranger declaring an interest and leaving the chamber, the motion by Deputy Mayor Cr Ken Halstead was passed by five votes to three.
Cr Larry Whipper, Cr Jim Clark and Cr Jim Mauger voted against it.
Council earlier rejected a motion from Cr Larry Whipper which included all of the conditions demanded by Sutton Forest residents, but did not specify a number of units to be approved.
An amendment from Mayor Duncan Gair proposing approval of 80 units was also lost.
Cr Whipper said while tourist accommodation was needed in Wingecarribee Shire, council had already approved four applications for motels, including two in Moss Vale, one at the Bowral Country Golf Course and another which has lapsed.
"You are killing the goose that killed the golden egg by providing accommodation but killing the thing that attracts people to enjoy the area," he said.
"A long time after some developers have left the shire, we will still be accountable for why we allowed something that killed the beauty of the shire to go ahead."
But Cr Gair said Cr Whipper's argument was "bluff, bluster, stalling and deferring" aimed at finishing the development.
"I don't believe there is enough support for 90 units. I hope there will be enough support for 80 and maybe we can put it to rest," he said.
"There will be a change to the landscape as there was to The Briars and ten years down the track you drive past and don't see it."
Cr Halstead described Cr Whipper's lengthy motion as "a bit like shovelling smoke", and Cr Juliet Arkwright accused Cr Whipper of using his position in the chair to "play to the gallery" of Sutton Forest residents.
Cr Halstead said while the Development Control Plan (DCP) for the Sutton Forest Inn was flawed, a development of 90 units or even more than 100 was permissible under the DCP and the Local Environmental Plan (LEP) for the site.
He said the project would provide needed tourist accommodation, short-term jobs in construction and, more importantly, long-term jobs.
"A lot of objectors don't live within a kilometre of the site of the development and some live as far away as Sydney," he said.
Opponents of the project shouted "shame" and "we will remember this" as they left the council chamber after the vote.
But Sutton Forest Inn neighbour Gar Houston said yesterday the decision was step in the right direction.
"It was a compromise and I certainly think that the DCP is still an issue," he said.
"I don't believe that the development complies and on that basis, the development should have been requested to make it comply.
"It is much better than what was originally proposed and the bulk and scale are still a concern.
"It's not a bad result, it could have been a lot worse."
Mr Houston said the residents would be watching closely to ensure a reasonable outcome for the site.
Mr Field thanked council staff for their work.
"We are also grateful for the unswerving support of local chambers of commerce who clearly see the benefits of employment and business to the shire."
Mr Fields said pub regulars and long-term residents Malcolm Badgery and Angus Stevens, who publicly supported the project, celebrated with other patrons well into Wednesday night.
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