HORSHAM council has noted a petition against the proposed closing of Horsham's McBryde Street.
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The street was suggested as the location for a proposed multi-sports precinct in the council's draft City to River masterplan.
Horsham residents created a petition against the proposed closure in October. It received about 580 signatures.
Cr David Grimble moved to have the petition "dealt with" at the council's November 25 meeting, rather than defer discussions to its December meeting.
Cr Grimble had previously moved two motions at the meeting that asked the council to revoke McBryde Street as the suggested location for the proposed multi-sports precinct.
His motions called for the completion of an independent feasibility study which considered Crown Land showgrounds site and the Horsham West (Jenkinson Avenue) option.
"We revoked a previous decision in relation to McBryde Street and have now decided to do some extra work around what our sporting precinct might look like. I believe some of that will appease what this petition is looking for," he said.
"I want to inform the authors of the petition about the recommendations and I don't think we should wait another four weeks."
Cr John Robinson agreed.
"I don't think I've ever come across something that has caused so much angst from all sections of the community. It certainly has more support than any single item in the City to River masterplan," he said.
"Us doing anything to McBryde Street is a ticket to doom and gloom."
The motion was carried unanimously.
Horsham council resolved in July 2017 that any new indoor sports stadium would be located at McBryde Street, Horsham.
In his report to the council at its November 25 meeting, infrastructure director John Martin said the resolution had included conducting engagement with the community regarding the closure.
"That engagement has not proceeded, as council has now included in its 2019-23 Council Plan the action 'investigate other options for the Wimmera Sports Stadium'," he said.
Cr Grimble moved a motion at the same meeting to defer a report on the council's Open Space Strategy to a future meeting.
McBryde Street petition co-creator Di Bell said she was pleased Cr Grimble had moved motions to conduct a feasibility study.
"All the plans intertwine with each other. I think the Open Space Strategy should have been completed before the City to River plan," she said.
"My concern is that once the feasibility study is done that the council needs to be totally transparent in its consultation, and the parameters and briefings of the study."
Mrs Bell said she had counted that 290 vehicles used McBryde Street during the school drop-off period. This was up from 243 in 2017.
Mr Bell is also the Horsham Rural Ratepayers and Residents president. The group created a petition last month calling for a halt of all Horsham council Transforming Horsham plans.
Transforming Horsham plans include the City to River masterplan, the Horsham Urban Transport Plan, the Open Space Strategy and the Horsham South Structure Plan.
"The petition is about the lack of acceptable community engagement, inclusion and transparency from the council," she said.
"It isn't about being negative, it's about letting council know what does and doesn't work for us, and finding ways to come up with better solutions.
"The immediate response to the petition has been a lot stronger than I expected."
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