Central Coast Council is inviting community feedback until Wednesday July 23 on a Draft Conservation Management Plan for Burns Place, Gosford.
The plan outlines best practice heritage conservation and ensures the ongoing preservation of Burns Place now and into the future, Council said.
Located on Mann Street opposite the Gosford train station, Burns Place was heritage listed in 2004.
Council said the space holds strong community value as it was publicly funded to serve as a grand welcoming link between the railway station and the town centre with key features like stone edging, a memorial fountain, and mature plantings.
Environment and Planning Director Luke Nicholls said the plan ensures the ongoing preservation of Burns Place and outlines best practice heritage conservation.
“As part of Council’s Safer Cities: Her Way pilot program, 86% of people surveyed felt unsafe in Burns Place due to low lighting, overgrown vegetation, and poor wayfinding,” he said.
“Given the heritage significance of Burns Place, it is vital a Conservation Management Plan is developed to guide the maintenance and management of the park and ensure its heritage value is preserved for future generations before safety concerns can be addressed.
“The plan will also guide the short and long-term decision making for works, including maintenance, repairs, conservation efforts, alterations and additions or new development,” Mr Nicholls said.
Once adopted, the Conservation Management Plan will streamline heritage approval for any works to the park and provide a basis for future grant applications.
Mayor Lawrie McKinna said that Burns Place was funded by the local community as a place of public open space and its Conservation Management Plan needs to consider the ongoing care, maintenance, and use of the park now and into the future.
“The heritage listed Burns Place Park in Gosford, with its striking stone gateway arch, is a reminder of the past when it represented the grand entrance to the city.
“Having a Conservation Management Plan for Burns Place will outline how we can manage changes over time to ensure the significance is retained and the community feels safe in the space, Mayor McKinna said.
View the draft plan and provide your feedback or attend a pop-up stall on site on Thursday, July 10 from 11am-2pm.
Feedback received during the public exhibition period will directly inform the final plan to be considered for adoption, council said.
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