Pat and David Jeffreys are still waiting for hostel facilities.
IN 2000, Pat Jefferys and her husband David bought into Castle Pines Retirement Village knowing that the building had been approved to have hostel facilities added.
Ten years later, Mrs Jefferys is disappointed to see that the provision for a hostel has been removed as the Baulkham Hills retirement village undergoes expansion.
Mr Jefferys has Parkinson’s disease, which is the reason the two bought into Castle Pines.
``It’s a degenerative disease, so we knew he would need the hostel,’’ Mrs Jefferys said.
In April this year, the Hills Shire Council rejected an application to add two self-care villas and 48 self-care units without any hostel facilities, as it was found to be too big and out of character with the rest of the village.
The applicant, Premier Holdings Corporation, took the matter the Land and Environment Court on August 12 and won.
The court ruled that the expansion was in the public’s interest and the proposal will now go ahead with no hostel facilities.
``It’s not only a loss to the Castle Pines residents but a loss to the whole community,’’ Mrs Jeffreys said.
``The defence that the council put up in court was appalling.’‘
A council spokeswoman said few residents had complained to council about the lack of hostel facilities.
``Submissions from 63 landowners were received to the proposal; only a few raised concern with the non-provision of the hostel,’’ she said.
President of the Castle Pines body corporate Paul Jones said he believed many residents in the village had wanted the hostel.
``There are a lot of people who bought into Castle Pines expecting there would be hostel one day,’’ he said.
Mrs Jefferys said she and her husband will most likely have to find another place with hostel facilities in the next five to six years.
Source: whereilive
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