Preserving Our Heritage since 1968

The Hunters Hill Trust

The Hunters Hill Trust

Preserving Our Heritage since 1968

Appeal by Victoria Road developers: more hodge podge?

Atlen Construction has appealed to the Land Environment Court against Council’s refusal of their development proposals for 233-235 and 223-225 Victoria Road Gladesville.

The Trust has objected to the uncoordinated maze of developments that have been happening in Gladesville, and are proposed for three of the Victoria Rd shop sites. You can read our objections for  DA20171199 (the BWS site)  DA20171197  (the Gladesville Arcade site) and DA20171183  (the Commonwealth bank site).

An on-site conciliation conference has been set for 9:30 May 1st 2019. More details here: appeal re development of 233_235 Victoria Road.  Residents can make submissions up until 7 days beforehand.

2018-12-08T15:55:17+11:00December 4, 2018|

“Killing us softly with your pong”

“killing us softly with your pong”

“$$$ + politics = over development”

Graffiti on this hoarding in front of one of the many high rise apartment buildings that are being built along Victoria Road, Gladesville expresses some of the rage, disgust and grief that people are feeling about the rampant, unsympathetic over-development in our midst.

Would you choose to live smack bang on this footpath, inhaling toxic fumes, and hearing trucks roar past interminably?

dealmoon.com.au

The authors have attributed blame to Hunters Hill and Ryde Councils, which actually have very limited capacity to influence outcomes since the NSW government changed the planning rules.  Anthony Roberts, member for Lane Cove and Minister for Housing, Planning and Special Minister of State has his electoral offices just a few blocks down the road.

2018-05-04T14:38:04+10:00April 4, 2018|

Affordable rental housing

The Hunters Hill Trust fully recognises the need for affordable rental housing in Sydney and we are not opposed to affordable housing being located in the Hunters Hill LGA where the zoning is appropriate. As well, we are not opposed to Boarding Houses being built in Hunters Hill.

However a number of DAs for boarding houses have recently been submitted under the SEPP Affordable Rental Housing as a way of developing sites that would otherwise be too small and unsuitable.  We do not accept that this is affordable rental housing because there is nothing either in the LEP definition or in the SEPP to determine a rent cap that might be applied.  They will be rented out at the going market rate.

How far have we ‘progressed‘ since these affordable housing options were developed for low income families a couple of hundred years ago?

cottages in Blaise hamlet built in 1811 to house retired servants of Blaise Castle (Image: National Trust UK)

WH Lever built Port Sunlight village for his soap factory workers 1899-1914. 800 houses for 3,500 residents (Image:The Guardian)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are many reasons why Council should reject the current DA for a boarding house at 2 Flagstaff Street Gladesville, including:

  • over development of the site
  • non-compliance with key aspects of the planning controls
  • location is an increasingly busy shopping area service street and unsuitable for this type of development
  • lack of alternative emergency exits and potential for disaster if there is a fire
  • adverse impact on the neighbourhood (not enough car parking, overlooking adjoining property, lack of architectural merit, would prevent potential amalgamation with adjacent sites to allow a more rational re-development of the site).

See the Trust’s detailed submission to Council.

2018-04-04T13:07:16+10:00April 3, 2018|

another Master Plan for Gladesville?

(image: NDIS)

The community has been increasingly angry and frustrated about the mish-mash of developments in Gladesville that threaten to create long term problems and reduce quality of life.

Hunters Hill Council has decided to develop a new master plan for Gladesville.  Whatever happened to the Gladesville Master Plan that was carefully worked out – with its pedestrian-only laneway, shops and cafes?

Councillors agreed that a new Plan will focus on:

  • Developing active frontages along Victoria Rd with appropriate connectivity into the Gladesville key site
  • Building an overarching vision for development of land, particularly between Pittwater Rd and Batemans Rd fronting Victoria Rd
  • Pedestrian access into and out of the site; including Investigating an above ground walkway from Trim Place into the Gladesville Village amongst other connectivity priorities into the surrounding residential areas
  • Alleviating pressure from increased traffic flows stemming from development in the Gladesville precinct
  • Developing a public pedestrian plaza along Massey lane with appropriate connectivity to the key site/shopping village and Victoria Rd

(more…)

2018-03-15T17:31:42+11:00March 14, 2018|

Boarding house proposed for narrow site

2 Flagstaff St Gladesville

Hunters Hill Council is currently reviewing a Development Application for the construction of a boarding house that would provide accommodation for 12 people and a manager on a narrow 450 square meter site at 2 Flagstaff Street, Gladesville.

Each person will have accommodation ranging from 15-25 square meters in size.  There will be parking for 4 cars.

Check the detailed plans and documents here.  Submissions on Flagstaff St boarding house DA 2018 1009 should be sent to council@huntershill.nsw.gov.au by Friday 16th March 2018.

Read the Trust’s detailed submission about 2 Flagstaff Street here.

2018-04-03T13:21:18+10:00March 9, 2018|

Hodgepodge: where is the master plan?

The Trust objects to 3 large developments proposed on Victoria Road to the west of the Gladesville Shopping Village (GSV) site. What we are seeing is a failure of strategic planning and the local community will bear the costs.

The proposals would increase traffic coming and going through a collection of ramps across the western boundary of the GSV site.

Where is the pedestrian-only laneway with shops and cafes that formed part of the Gladesville Master Plan?

If these developments go ahead, it will be the end of any chance of achieving reasonable and responsible redevelopment of the whole site bounded by Victoria Rd, Massey, Flagstaff and Cowell Streets. No development can be supported until a fully integrated proposal can be put in place for the whole site. Parking for the whole site needs to be integrated in a properly designed underground carpark so that cars and trucks are separated from pedestrians.

See the Trust’s objections to each of these Development Applications:

2018-12-04T16:51:06+11:00March 6, 2018|

threats posed by ‘State Significant Infrastructure’

HHT recently met with Anthony Roberts, Minister for Planning and Carolyn McNally, Secretary of NSW Planning and Environment to discuss concerns about unsympathetic development across Sydney, the draft Medium Density Housing Code as well as concerns about Gladesville Shopping Village and Windsor Bridge.  Detailed correspondence has followed that meeting (see below).

We now seek assurance that a declaration of ‘State Significant lnfrastructure’ will not be used to bulldoze inappropriate development through the Hunters Hill Municipality.  ‘Priority Growth Areas’, ‘Priority Precincts’ and ‘Urban Renewal Corridors’ now located all over Sydney are causing significant destruction of heritage, tree cover, amenity and consequent community stress.

We applaud the recently announced ‘Better Placed’ state-wide design policy to ‘ensure the delivery of high quality urban design and better places for people across NSW’ but design guides will not turn the tide of poor design, and development driven by profit that is rampaging across Sydney, unless there is a mandatory compliance requirement to a set of standards with community and civic outcomes at their core.

Image: Advertiser, SA National Trust

Sense of place is being obliterated through lack of protections for character, mature tree coverage and consideration of resources captured in existing buildings.

View the Trust’s powerpoint presentation to the Minister and Secretary in July.  Read the Trust’s follow up letter to Minister Roberts.  Read Ms McNally’s detailed response to HHT.   You can also see the Trust’s most recent letters to Ms McNally and to Minister Roberts.

2017-10-14T16:36:32+11:00September 4, 2017|

‘Priority growth areas’: what about heritage & infrastructure?

The State Government has an ever increasing list of Priority Growth Areas, Priority Precincts and Urban Renewal Corridors now located all over Sydney. Local Council’s have no say over these areas.

Pitt St 1892-93 Image: Dictionary of Sydney

Why is there so little provision for social infrastructure in these mega-plans?

For example, the Sydenham to Bankstown rail corridor will destroy entire suburbs in Sydney’s inner west, many of which have outstanding heritage value. The Government proposes to build 35,000 homes along the railway line, with towers of up to 25 storeys, with minimal provision for additional infrastructure.

Better Planning Network and other community groups have begun a major new campaign to fight the NSW Government’s plan to impose massive, low-quality development across Sydney. More information here.

2017-09-01T09:09:31+10:00August 27, 2017|

Rise and RISE of apartment blocks

Image: www.afr.com

More than a third (34%) of residents of Ryde / Hunters Hill ABS statistical area live in apartments, which is more than the average for Greater Sydney (28%) Source: 2016 ABS Census data.

In 2016, more apartments were built in Australia than houses.  Building industry deregulation presents serious concerns over quality, materials and fire compliance, including

    • poor oversight by local planners and authorities
    • self-certification of building components
    • relaxation of defect rectification requirements
    • long chains of sub-contractors
    • cheap or non-compliant fittings and finishes.

Many people blame foreign investors but in fact most investors are locals.  For more information about the implications of Investor-driven developments.

2017-08-27T14:22:30+10:00August 27, 2017|

For our lungs’ sake: send a message

Image: Friends of the Urban Forest

A powerful network of community, planning and health organisations, including the Heart Foundation, National Trust, Australian Institute of Landscape Architects is calling on the Premier of NSW to protect and enhance the lungs of Sydney.  The Hunters Hill Trust has also signed this open letter that has been organised by the Total Environment Centre.

The letter urges better protection of green spaces and trees from development and raises serious concerns about the proposed Biodiversity Offsets Scheme, which will lead to the widespread clearing of remnant bushland in the Greater Sydney area, in return for developers’ cash payments.

  We encourage you to sign the letter too (here)

2017-09-03T11:54:04+10:00August 10, 2017|

We are a volunteer community organisation with over 50 years’ proud representation on behalf of the residents of Hunters Hill, advocating for our suburb’s unique heritage and environment.

If you would like to donate to our cause, your contributions will be greatly appreciated and very carefully used.

Donations can be via bank transfer to: CBA Bank; BSB 062000; Acct 16211909, or by cheque payable to Hunters Hill Trust sent to PO Box 85, Hunters Hill 2110.

Please email us at huntershilltrust@gmail.com so we can acknowledge your kind contribution.

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