Plans have been lodged for a 102-place childcare centre to service a growing business area in the Lower Hunter.
Hunter Land has submitted plans for the long daycare centre at 285 Anderson Drive, Beresfield to Newcastle council.
Graham Burns, who is a director of Hunter Land subsidiary Avalon Rural Holdings, said they decided to build a childcare to cater for a business park they are developing next door, which is set to house 400-500 workers.
"We're just finishing off an $18 million section of the business park," he said. "For the most part the park is single storey buildings - accountants, technological people, a gym. We did some work with the intended user base and found that people wanted a childcare integrated."
The centre will be open to the wider community and will cater to children aged 0-6 years. The single-storey building is set to include six play rooms.
Mr Burns said they hoped to have the development application finalised by Christmas, before seeking an operator to run the centre.
Hunter Land has created numerous developments in the area, starting with Thornton Industrial Estate in 1995.
Mr Burns said the combined area was largest light industrial zone in the Hunter Valley, which now employed roughly 6000 people.
The proposal includes clearing of some trees on site located within the building footprint.
The car parking requirement for a childcare of this size is 26 spaces. Lodged documents say there will be 25 car spaces on site including five for staff and two accessible spaces.
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