New homes for women fleeing domestic violence

Plans to build the 10 transitional group homes have been lodged with Wollongong City Council.

The two-storey home - which will replace an existing home on the site - will be made up of three interconnected buildings, with four residences at ground level and six on the first floor.

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Each residence will have two bedrooms, kitchen and dining area, bathroom and laundry and will operate as a "single household".

Entry to all the residences will be via a single secure lobby entry.

"Given the proposed use of the site as a transitional group home for women and children escaping domestic violence, the individual entrance to each group home will be from within the site itself," the statement of environmental effects said.

"It is not appropriate for the group homes to have individual entries from the street for safety and security reasons."

The floor space ratio is greater than the maximum allowed on the site and a exemption request has been lodged.

"Aside from presenting a suitable appearance to surrounding areas, that is compatible with the existing and desired character of the area," the exemption requested stated, "the proposed development will enable better utilisation of the site, without causing any significant nor unreasonable impacts on surrounding sites or the public domain, in terms of visual privacy, solar access and/or visual amenity."

The development application is on public exhibition until November 8.

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