An unapproved private market at Palm-Beach Currumbin High School looks like being given the heave-ho.
Council's Planning Committee on Monday recomended their application to extend trading hours to be rejected, with concerns about parking.
Commitee Chair, Councillor Ted Shepherd said the business was currently operating 6-11am every Saturday without approval.
A show cause notice was issued in Februaru last year, which has prompted the application to open Friday night - as well as Saturday and Sunday.
Cr Shepherd said there were already parking problems with the existing markets, let alone an extended version.
"Even the applicant’s own traffic consultants conducted a Saturday morning traffic survey and identified 61 illegally parked vehicles within a 200 metre radius of the markets."
He said the operators had made no provision for on-site parking for market patrons.
“At Council’s urging, the applicants contact the school to see if they would provide parking within their grounds but the school rejected the request."
If the committee’s recommendation is adopted on Monday, Council will take appropriate action to have the unapproved markets closed down.
I am a local business person and resident that attends the PBC markets every Saturday... This market provides a much needed service to the local community. Should this market be closed down it will impact the livelihood of over 50 stall holders, local producers, growers and manufacturers and 100's (probably even 1000’s) of customers who frequent the markets to purchase their wares every Saturday morning... If parking is an issue then I would like to ask where the onsite parking is provided for the majority of other markets held around the Gold Coast. To my knowledge most of them only provide minimal onsite parking (if any at all). And if any local has ever tried to drive anywhere near PBC during the week at pickup and drop off times then they will surely be aware of the traffic congestion around the school every day. So why is Saturday morning causing such an issue with the council when it is certainly no worse than any other day of the week. I would also like to point out the contributions made by the market to the school. As a parent of children who will soon be attending PBC I certainly appreciate the additional funds the P&C are now able to put back into the school – do we really want to take this away from the students? Perhaps Council should concern themselves with more pressing issues and leave our little market community alone….
Posted by: leannebarnes (2 pts)
Report Abuse11:01pm 24 August 2010