The Plymouth Brethren Christian Church (PBCC) has lodged a proposal for a new church hall at 71 Boardman Road South, Bowral, in a non-residential area earmarked by the council for development.
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The new hall is planned for the Bowral (South) New Living Area, and the plans are designed to have maximum community benefit and minimal impact for both current and future neighbours.
The church has been part of The Southern Highlands for more than 50 years, with the congregation worshipping at an ageing Moss Vale hall that no longer meets church community needs.
Resident and member of the church Darren Seeley said they had been looking for a new home for the congregation to meet on a regular basis.
"This site ticks all the boxes," he said.
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"It is out of the way but still has great access roads and has plenty of space on-site for parking, which means minimal impact on surrounding local streets.
"The proposed use as a place of public worship is allowed under both the current zoning and anticipated future zoning, and will have minimal impacts on current and future neighbours.
"As our current neighbours in Moss Vale would confirm, you don't get more low-key neighbours than church members.
"Our church has a significant population in this area and a great relationship with the local communities, and we want to build on that through this project.
"Under the $3 million construction project to start next year, we will use local contractors and suppliers as much as possible and to do our part for community safety, we would offer our car park as a staging area for local fire services in the event that they are battling future bushfires in the area."
The proposed hall will be used for prayers and worship, and the main day for its use would be Sundays, like with other Christian churches.
The design has been selected to complement future residential development in the area, using typical residential materials, neutral colours and extensive landscaping.
Mr Seeley said the church group had worked hard to make sure its plans were a good fit for the community.
"We look forward to discussing those with the community and our new neighbours," he said.
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