Background

The City of Canada Bay worked with the local community in 2019 to create a Place Plan to enhance and improve Majors Bay Road in Concord. Our community survey used to inform the Plan reported that over half our community want a piazza to create a focal point for the community. This suggestion has also been put forward by the Majors Bay Chamber of Commerce and discussed at community meetings. You can read more about our new Place Plan that was adopted by Council here and in the document library on this page.

In order to create a small piazza to add vibrancy to the area and provide a place for the community to gather, for instance community Christmas Carols, Council has investigated closing Jellicoe Street where it meets Majors Bay Road.

Road Closure Investigations

Transport and Urban Planning were engaged to advise on the traffic implications of closing Jellicoe Street to create a piazza. We detailed the findings on Collaborate and reached out to the residents in Jellicoe Street area and surrounds who were most likely to be affected by this closure.

85% of the respondents were in favour of creating the piazza with 10% opposed and 5% a maybe.

At the Council Meeting on 15 October 2019 it was resolved that Jellicoe Street be permanently closed at Majors Bay Road subject to final approval by Transport for NSW (TfNSW). A requirement of TfNSW was that it be advertised to the broader community. As a result, a notice was placed in the 12 November 2019 edition of the Inner West Courier. Final approval from TfNSW has now been received.

Vehicle movement

As part of the closure, Gallipoli Lane will become one-way south. This will prevent conflicts between vehicles travelling in opposing directions along this narrow laneway.

To assist with vehicle turning manoeuvres, a vehicle turning bay will be created at the western end of Jellicoe Street. This will require the removal of two existing angled parking spaces. This loss of parking will however be offset through the creation of four new parallel parking spaces on the south side of the road to the west of Gallipoli Lane. This is to be achieved through minor narrowing of the footpath on this side of the road and will replace existing ‘No Parking’ restrictions.

The reconfiguration of parking also includes the creation of an additional mobility parking space. Observations and feedback from the community indicates that there is currently generally high demand for the existing two spaces..

Parking

Parking has been raised by the community as an area of concern. In light of this Council appointed Transport and Traffic Planning Associates (TTPA) to examine current parking use and availability in Majors Bay Road and surrounds. The consultants were briefed with ideas provided by our community and have considered these along with information such as data from parking occupancy surveys.

The study has identified the opportunity to provide four parking spaces has been identified on the southern side of Jellicoe Street by reducing the existing footpath down to 2.4metres wide. This proposal has been adopted by Council as a quick win in our program to address the parking challenges in the Majors Bay Road area.

The provision of this amended footpath design will be delivered as part of the development of the piazza works in spring 2020. The study will be shared in its entirety in the coming weeks.

Design concepts

Council created some initial design concepts at the end of 2019. Initial thoughts were tested at the Majors Bay Chamber of Commerce fantastic Christmas Carols event on 10 December 2019. Below are images of the potential space.

A full design sketch is in the sidebar showing potential parking configurations and details of street furniture.

Feedback from the Christmas event was positive with attendees suggesting more public seats in clusters, to look at options for temporary shade and showed enthusiasm for a phone charging table to be sited amongst seating.