Newly released plans for the development of the former Kyneton Primary School site have been condemned by residents.
Community groups have labelled three proposals put forward in a consultants report as inadequate and fail to capture the “essence” of what the groups were trying to achieve.
One reference group is now putting forward its own fourth option which it believes better represents what the community wants.
“Our group is full of different people, but everyone is devastated by the consultants’ report,” Kyneton Town Square Reference Group member Rob Bakes said.
Mr Bakes said the group, which includes representatives from Kyneton Connections, Kyneton Community Learning Centre, U3A, Kyneton Men’s Shed, and the Lions Club of Kyneton, wanted the site to be run by the community, who would have use of the site without “hire/lease costs”.
“Who is going to pay to use it for community events?” Mr Bakes said.
Future use of the Baynton Street site has been debated for more than a year, since the primary school announced it would be moving to become part of a new education hub shared with Kyneton Secondary College.
The three proposals put forward by consultants Ethos Urban are: The council buying the site and sharing operating responsibilities with the community; local government buying the site and commercially leasing portions; and the site being subdivided and sold.
All three include building an access road north-south through the site, and the eastern portion of the site being developed as an extended town square open space, with potential to accommodate a library/Kyneton Mechanics Institute extension.
Community groups Kyneton Town Hub and Kyneton Town Square Reference Group, which were formed to keep the school site in the community’s hands – have condemned the options.
Kyneton stonemason Huntly Barter said he assumed concept one represented what the groups had pushed for during the consultation, but did not capture “the essence” of what they were trying to achieve.
“A road through the site completely destroys the concept of a village green,” Mr Barter said. “This school site came into existence via community will … for the betterment of the whole community, we need to get back to these basics.”
Mayor Jennifer Anderson has encouraged residents to give feedback on the draft.
“The options are aimed to reflect the information received in the first round of community consultation,” Cr Anderson said.
A drop-in consultation session will be held at Kyneton Mechanics Institute on Tuesday, March 27 from 3-7pm. Feedback can be shared online at www.mrsc.vic.gov.au/yoursay.
A final master plan will be presented to council later this year.
