Business dying slowly: Dry cleaner Murray Burke has cut his staff from six to just one in the past 15 years.Photo: Gene Ramirez.
"More people equals more business, that's always true": Cafe owner Richard Cao with staff (from left) Sharon Guo and Wendy Ren. Photo: Gene Ramirez
MERRYLANDS residents and businesses are in conflict about the town centre's future.
Many people living in Merrylands are critical of Holroyd Council's proposal to increase building height limits to 65 metres.
But for every person opposed to the plans, there is a business owner crying out for high-rise developments.
Residents have signed petitions opposing the council's proposed changes to the local environmental plan.
They believe changes that would see buildings up to 20 storeys high built in some areas would ruin Merryland's village feel.
Patrick Condon was born in the Newman Street house his father built in 1923 and has seen the suburb change. He said the council's proposal was akin to trying to build New York in Merrylands.
But proprietors along Merrylands Road said opposition to high-rise developments was based on nostalgia and was not realistic.
Murray Burke, who has run his dry cleaning business for almost 40 years, said things had to change.
"The major things that people need aren't here any more," he said.
"I've been here [in Merrylands Road] 37 years and I've just seen that it's dying."
Mr Burke said the loss of the hardware shop and banks to the nearby Stockland shopping centre had cut people traffic from the main street.
High-rise residential buildings would bring customers back, he said.
At Cafe Sparks, owner Richard Cao said more people would mean more business.
"There is Stockland mall over there," he said. "Maybe if they allow us to have high-rise buildings here it will put us on an equal footing."