Posted: 21.10.2021
An independent girls’ school on Sydney’s Upper North Shore has won conditional planning approval for a multimillion-dollar redevelopment.
Loreto Normanhurst had sought development consent for the creation of 10 new and expanded building envelopes on its Pennant Hills Road campus and a phased increase in student numbers
from 1150 to 2000.
Under the $130-million concept proposal, several existing buildings and sports courts would be demolished and 119 trees removed. Stage 1 works would include the construction of new boarding accommodation for students and staff; a through-site road; new car parking and student drop-off/pick-up facilities; and hard and soft landscaping. Student numbers would rise by 500 during Stage 1.
A whole-of-government assessment undertaken by the Department of Planning, Industry & Environment concluded the impacts of the proposed redevelopment would be “acceptable and appropriately mitigated through the implementation of the recommended conditions of consent”; however, the Commission is the consent authority for the state significant development application because the Department received more than 50 public objections.
Commissioners Adrian Pilton (Panel Chair), Wendy Lewin and Juliet Grant were appointed to consider the application and make a final decision. They met with the Applicant, Department and Hornsby Shire Council, and undertook a virtual site inspection and physical tour of the surrounding neighbourhood.
Concerns raised in written submissions to the Commission and at an electronic Public Meeting in September related to traffic congestion; parking; emergency vehicle access; construction impacts; tree removal; biodiversity; and loss of amenity.
After carefully considering all the evidence, the Commission has today (Thursday 21 October 2021) determined to grant development consent to the Application, subject to conditions.
In its Statement of Reasons for Decision, the Commission concluded the “[s]ite includes an existing school and is well placed to support the demand for increased student enrolments in the nongovernment school sector; the Application is an orderly and economic use of the Site and will provide new school infrastructure and replace ageing school infrastructure; environmental impacts have been avoided and mitigated where possible; and impacts on surrounding land uses have been minimised and are capable of being further mitigated through conditions on consent.”
It added: “The Commission has determined that consent should be granted subject to conditions. These conditions are designed to
The Commission’s Statement of Reasons for Decision is available here: https://www.ipcn.nsw.gov.au/projects/2021/08/loreto-normanhurst-school-redevelopment-ssd-8996-concept-proposal-and-stage-1
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