Holmes Dyer prepared a range of concepts for the development of a privately owned 8-hectare infill site in northern Sydney.
Notably, approximately one-third of the site consisted of a heritage listed, environmentally significant Sydney- Turpentine Ironbark Forest, with the balance comprising landscaped gardens and several centrally located buildings used for non-residential purposes.
The concepts addressed issues of slope, tree retention, bushfire risk, biodiversity, cultural and aboriginal heritage, earthworks and site access, while providing for a combination of housing typologies to facilitate a range of market opportunities.To assist the client in determining yield potential, concepts were prepared to demonstrate how the site could be developed to meet the 500m2 minimum lot size requirement sought by the General Residential Zone, and how additional yield could be achieved with smaller allotments and/or apartment buildings via a Clause 4.6 application.
The final concept that was accepted by the client takes advantage of existing avenues of tree planting to frame streetscapes and pedestrian paths, and provides for internal and external site linkages and generous open spaces.
The concept delivered 64 lots of between 500m2 and 1,000m2, with the larger allotments strategically located at the interface with existing low-density residential development, and to manage bushfire risk adjacent the Forest.3
Critically, the concept provides for the excision of the Forest from the balance of the land to enable it to be gifted to the Council as a public asset, providing the local community with access to this unique land for the first time in over 60 years.
Holmes Dyer coordinated the input of a comprehesive subconsultant team in the preperation of the development application.
Given the complexity of the application, Holmes Dyer met regularly with key stakeholders and council planning staff to ensure the project retained momentum, and requests for further information were responded to comprehensively and in an expeditious manner.
The application was approved by the Hornsby Shire Local Planning Panel in August 2024 after receiving unanimous support from the panel members.
