Plans to revamp the Ibis Budget hotel in Wentworthville, which were rejected last year, have now been given the green light.
A new pub and four-storey accommodation block are just some of the upgrades on the cards for the local hotel, after the amended plans were recently approved on appeal by the Land and Environment Court.
Estimated to cost over $28 million, the hotel sits on the busy Great Western Highway, near the Cumberland Highway.
“The proposed development provides a unique opportunity for the holistic redevelopment of this section of the site located in a prominent enterprise zone, interfacing with the highway,” planning documents said.
“The site is opportune for its purpose, being located in a highly accessible area to public transport facilities with multiple bus stops located in proximity to the site providing services to Parramatta, Westmead, Merrylands and Blacktown.”
As part of the plans, one of the two existing buildings on the site, known as Building A, will be demolished to make way for the new four-storey building and pub. Three basement levels for 157 car parking spaces will also be constructed, along with a new hotel reception located on the southern side of the ground floor.
The new pub, which will accommodate up to 400 people, will feature a sports bar, VIP room, bistro and beer garden.
The existing building located at the southern side of the site, known as Building B, will be retained, as will the car parking surrounding it.
The news of the approval comes after the plans were originally rejected by Cumberland Council in April last year, over concerns the project would cause adverse impacts to the local arterial road network and intersection.
But the planning documents said the development is not expected to generate significant additional external trips to and from the site.
“The proposed reduction in hotel rooms, that is, from 104 existing rooms to 102 proposed rooms would decrease the potential traffic generation of the site,” it said.
“It is also anticipated that visitors of the proposed bar, bistro and VIP lounge would comprise primarily of onsite hotel patrons.”
Fears the upgraded hotel could also lead to an increase in anti-social behaviour were also raised by some residents last year, but these concerns were not cited as the reason the proposal was initially refused.
The hours of operation for the pub are expected to be 7.00am to midnight, Monday to Saturday, and 7.00am to 10.00pm on Sundays. The hotel will trade 24 hours, seven days per week.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.