A NEW child medical centre in North Bendigo is one of the major items on Wednesday night's council agenda.
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The medical centre would involve a 2913 square-metre development near the intersection of Anderson and Niemann streets, encompassing a heritage building dating back to the 1860s.
It proposes extending the building and car parking facilities, repairing the wall surrounding the property and demolishing a swimming pool and deck.
The centre would offer children occupational therapy, physiotherapy, psychology, speech therapy, play therapy and pathology.
Nine people have lodged objections to the development, citing concerns about parking and traffic congestion, noise, property devaluation, and fears the development will not align with the heritage aesthetics of the area.
The council's heritage advisor has raised no concerns about the proposal and a council report states the centre's 25 parking spaces will provide "adequate onsite vehicle facilities for staff and patrons".
Councillors are recommended to approve the proposal.
Meanwhile, council will also vote on entering a 50-year agreement with Marist College Bendigo, in Maiden Gully, to have joint use of the school's facilities.
The agreement would involve the council and school sharing the use and cost of the school's recreational facilities, including its netball courts, junior sports oval, walking and cycling paths and a multi-purpose community centre.
The school would have use of the facilities from 8am - 4pm on weekdays and community groups could access them outside of these times.
Community Wellbeing director Pauline Gordon said the joint commitment would support the council’s vision for Greater Bendigo to be Australia’s most liveable regional city.
“Developments such as this are important to our residents’ social and physical health and wellbeing and these facilities will be central to the new housing area."
The facilities would cost $8 million, to be divided equally between the school and council.
Editor's note: The picture that originally featured with this story was not the correct site of the proposed development. The Bendigo Advertiser has removed the picture.
