As detailed in our previous post of 14 May 2025, Council rejected the argument by the two Independent Councillors that the Planning Proposal for Gladesville Shopping Village should be treated as a new proposal and put on public exhibition because building heights lower that this had already been rejected by the community, and rejected by a previous Council resolution when a 16 storey tower was proposed!
 
In spite of the increased height of this proposal which allows for the construction of 2 x 19 storey tower blocks – at their 28 April 2025 meeting – Council passed a motion by 5 votes to 2 to send it to NSW Department for Planning, Housing and Infrastructure for a Gateway approval.

Parramatta in Gladesville?


Subsequently, it appears that the Gateway Determination Approval (with Conditions) was issued by the NSW DPHI on 22 September 2025.
 
The community are now able to view the Approval as it was uploaded to Council’s website on 30 January 2026: 
https://www.planningportal.nsw.gov.au/ppr/pre-exhibition/gladesville-masterplan (open ‘Documents’ and view Gateway Determination)
 
Approval (subject to Conditions) was given to amend the planning controls of the Hunters Hill Local Environmental Plan 2012 to facilitate a mixed use development at Gladesville Town Centre.
 
We were pleased to see some of the Conditions that must be addressed by Council reflect community concerns, for instance providing analysis of how the 522 dwellings and 5000 sqm of non-residential gross floor area can be achieved, details of expected increases in traffic and further analysis of the overshadowing of Gladesville Public School (see our HHT June 2025 Jounal).  In addition, Council must undertake further consultation with Transport for NSW and public authorities like Sydney Water.

However what has still not been addressed is the overdevelopment of this site which will dramatically increase population density and introduce building heights that set a dangerous precedent for the rest of our LGA but has no affordable housing!
 
Neither does it address the site as a whole, as anticipated in the Gladesville Masterplan and as specifically requested by the Local Planning Panel.  The Proposal only addresses one area of the site (Block 4) adding two x 19 storey towers above a 2 storey retail podium.  The proposed layout could even allow up to 23 storeys, completely out of context with the surrounding mainly low-rise established neighbourhood.

On their website, Council states that an update on the Planning Proposal, along with an associated draft update to the Hunters Hill Development Control Plan, will be considered prior to the planned public exhibition of these documents in early 2026.
 
We will keep you posted as to when the community can finally have their say!!