Lovegrove saga ends

Lovegrove Avenue will remain a two-way street and its trees will be retained under a plan approved by the Bunbury City Council on Tuesday night.

The contentious issue was debated during a 50-minute hearing before a packed public gallery.

The council agreed on its engineering staff’s compromise solution to improve traffic flow and parking on Lovegrove Avenue, in a bid to improve safety at drop-off and pick-up times.

The plan will add an extra 15 parking bays on the street by using a strip along the school oval.

Bunbury Primary School board chairwoman Kanella Hope told the meeting the board still preferred the original one-way plan advertised in January.

However, she said the board was also happy with the new plan as long as there were changes made. This included removing five Japanese pepper trees to add an extra 25 parking bays and allowing the school to expand its staff and visitor parking for 30 more parking spaces.

However, both of these requests were denied, although the council will look to help – but not fund – the school’s bigger carpark.

Cr Sam Morris supported the council’s new plan and told councillors they should pass the proposal developed by council staff without changes.

He said he did not want to go “back to the drawing board” and it was the council’s responsibility to approve the plan that had been seen by the public.

The future of Lovegrove Avenue had divided the school and the Tree Street community.

Bunbury Primary School principal Shane Doherty said the school needed time to understand the council’s resolution.

“I’m happy that we now have a plan to improve student safety in the streets around the school, ” he said.

Friends of Lovegrove spokesman Daniel Johnson said the group was happy with the council’s decision which improved traffic flow but kept the trees.

“We look forward to the children of Bunbury Primary School and the residents of Lovegrove Avenue having a safe street, ” he said.

Bunbury Mayor Gary Brennan said he hoped all parties were pleased with the proposal “which ultimately puts the safety of the school children first”.

Work on the project could start in the December school holidays.

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