A $22m restaurant with an ‘artisan food and drink industry’ component, at the end of Yagers Lane, Skinners Shoot, will come before councillors at their first 2025 meeting on Thursday.
According to the staff report in the February 13 agenda, issues raised include the scale of development, hours of operation, noise and traffic, and road safety.
A total of 141 submissions were received, say staff, with 64 in support and 77 opposed.
Staff support DA 10.2024.24.1, subject to the conditions of approval.
Sitting on 33 acres, the developer says some of the existing piggery buildings would be transformed ‘into an intimate 45-seat restaurant and a new associated 15-seat artisan food and drink industry space’.
The proponent’s consultant says, ‘Restaurant operations are proposed to be of a high end/exclusive nature and is intended as a small-scale and intimate fine dining experience’. The plan of management adds, ‘two separate buildings will be constructed to comprise the artisan area, within which, gourmet food products will be manufactured by the restaurant chef and sampled by a maximum of 15 patrons where they can “meet and greet” the maker.’
While staff say there is ‘sufficient planning grounds to support the development’, conditions for approval include ‘road upgrades to Yagers Lane and Skinners Shoot Road intersection’.
Staff noted that the remainder of Skinners Shoot Road back to Byron Bay was ‘generally satisfactory, but the carriageway within the road reserve has been somewhat narrowed owing to the encroachment of tree foliage, branches, vegetation and overgrown shrubs encroaching into the road carriageway’.
‘This has been referred for attention of Council’s Infrastructure Services Works for further investigation and action, as appropriate… Other upgrades will be considered in the context of Shire-wide priorities and asset management plans to be included in future operational budgets’.
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