An $8 million link road connecting the northern and southern precincts of Dunheved Business Park is the centrepiece of Penrith Council’s revitalisation strategy for the often forgotten precinct.
Since 2011, Penrith Valley Chamber of Commerce has advocated for greater attention to and investment in Dunheved Business Park, which employs approximately 3,000 people.
On Monday evening, Councillors approved the Revitalisation Strategy, which aims to significantly improve the services and facilities in the Business Park.
“Dunheved Business Park is a really, really important business hub for our community,” Cr Mark Davies said.
“It has the highest density employment rate in Penrith and I am really pleased that we are creating and putting on paper our plans for the park’s future. This will give the business community certainty.”
The plan was finalised with the help of a comprehensive survey of 211 businesses in the precinct at the end of last year.
“The survey was the culmination of work that has been done for the last five or so years,” Chamber CEO Jill Woods said.
“We are really pleased that Council has already been investing in the area and believe that the strategy will open up the area to greater investment.”
She said that one key part of the strategy is the Dunheved Link Road. Council estimates that the Dunheved Link Road will cost in the order of $8 million, based on preliminary concept designs.
The land is 66 per cent owned by companies associated with Lend Lease and 34 per cent owned by Penrith City Council. A Deed of Agreement is expected to be signed later this year to deliver the road.
“It can be compared to the Erskine Park Link Road. The delivery of that road has completely opened up that precinct and I think the Dunheved Link Road will do the same,” Ms Woods said.
Other key components of the plan include the filling, re-subdivision and development of land located between Christie Street and Dunheved Circuit. It offers the opportunity in the medium term to expand the area of the park by 15 hectares to create a new precinct with direct frontage to Christie Street.
Council will also install new signage to make the park easier to identify; conduct a staged program of street plantings; advocate for better telecommunications and focus on stopping illegal dumping.
