former hospital in Thompson Street moved a step closer at Monday night’s Cootamundra Shire Council meeting with councillors

approving an application by Dickinson Property Group Pty Ltd to strata subdivide the site and build 10 detached residential units.

The area is currently vacant except for the former hospital laundry and associated storage buildings.

Consent was granted in October last year to demolish these buildings.

Last month Council approved the

construction of the units.

Aaron Bell of Dickinson Property Group said four of the units have already been sold off the plan to Sydney investors.

Mr Bell said these will likely end up as rental accommodation, filling a vast gap in the Cootamundra real estate market.

Ground is expected to be broken on the new development in the next month, with all 10 units to be built at once.

Given the proximity of the location to the centre of town and the flat level of the blocks, Mr Bell said he anticipates some of the units will be purchased by senior citizens.

Mr Bell said with a new real estate office opening in Cootamundra and staffed by locals, Dickinson Property Group is looking to have an increased presence in the local market, and he sees a bright future for the town with many new people coming to the town.

All councillors voted in favour of the subdivision with the exception of Cr Mary Donnelly.

Cr Donnelly said she had a number of

concerns regarding the development, including it’s proximity to the creek and an apparent lack of access.

“I think it is a silly place to put it, I don’t like developments on top of creeks,” she said.

While the creek has not flooded to the height of the proposed development for a number of years, some people say not in living memory, Cr Donnelly said it is not practical to assume the region will always be gripped by drought.

She said she is certainly not anti-

development and would love to see more units built in town, however she does not agree with the Thompson Street location.

Mr Bell said Council staff have looked at the site and are adamant there is no flood threat.

The Dickinson Property Group has

completed a similar development in Young.