A decision will be made soon on Uniting NSW.ACT’s controversial redevelopment of its Nareen Gardens retirement village at Bateau Bay, on the NSW Central Coast.

The Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel will announce its decision this week as to whether the $140 million project will be allowed to proceed, with nearby residents expressing concerns about the scale of the development and potential noise impacts.

Uniting says its plans, which were scaled back earlier this year following community feedback, will help resolve issues around availability of quality and affordable housing for Bateau Bay seniors, and the village’s residents committee has urged the panel to allow the revamp of the aging facility to proceed.

Uniting’s head of property development, Adrian Ciano (pictured), told the Central Coast Express Advocate that the Not For Profit has worked with the community to address concerns.

“Uniting is pleased to provide greater privacy through less dwellings, greater setbacks, lower heights, additional screening, solid balustrading as well as increased landscaping, aligning to the comments made by the community,” he said.

The current village, comprising 62 single-storey buildings with 114 ILUs plus office and community centre, was built in the 1980s.