Site for 50 units to be inspected

Gosford Council will inspect the site of a residential flat building containing 50 units on Blackwall Rd, Woy Woy.

Council decided to inspect the site after staff recommended refusing the application for 10 reasons.

Reasons included non-compliance, overdevelopment, inconsistency and exceeding density controls.

A staff report stated that the proposal did not comply with the desired character of the locality, the development standard relating to density, the development standard relating to building height and building envelope and the development standard relating to height of the topmost floor.

The report also stated that the proposal was "an overdevelopment of the site and represents a development which has a height and density that is permissible only in a higher density Residential 2(c) zone".

The site is zoned 2(b).

The proposal did not comply with the requirements of the Draft Peninsula "Design" Strategy, particularly regarding proposed setbacks and form of the development.

It did not comply with the requirements of DCP 100 Residential Flat Buildings for front setback, side setback, courtyard areas and front fencing or with the requirements of SEPP 65 regarding scale, built form, density and building setbacks.

The report stated that approval to a proposal that exceeded the density controls by 15 per cent and the height controls of the Gosford Planning Scheme Ordinance by 73 per cent would set an "undesirable precedent" that might impact on the desired character of the Peninsula.

It also stated that the development was inconsistent with the provisions of State Environmental Planning Policy No 71 Coastal Protection.

The proposal is for the demolition of existing buildings and structures and the construction of a residential flat development consisting of two and three storey buildings containing 40 medium and 10 large units.

The proposal would include the construction of six buildings ranging in height from two and three storey and the provision of a basement carpark containing 75 spaces and a visitor car park containing 11 spaces and a private landscaped communal courtyard.

Works would also include streetscape improvement works to Blackwall and Bowden Rds and landscaping to a private central courtyard and public domain surrounding the development.

The council received three submissions and one petition with 290 signatures objecting to the proposal and four submissions and one petition containing 402 signatures supporting the proposal.

The site spans nine separate lots located on the north-western corner of Blackwall and Bowden Rds.

The council report stated that existing buildings on the site were dilapidated and run down and included a basic older style large industrial factory warehouse and various metal clad and brick clad buildings and older style cottages.

The site operated as a soft drink factory from early last century until 1986.

The council report stated that it was not disputed that the proposal would be a substantial improvement on the existing development located on the site, "however this cannot be used as a reason or justification for approving a proposal that is so far outside Council's planning controls".

It stated that although the proposal contained many of the elements of desired character for the area, the proposal would be out of character with the area, due mainly to the excessive height and density.

Council agenda ENV.77, December 6