Bid to keep oval ‘not consistent’ with government plans to develop up to 1000 houses on 17ha site at Glenside

THE State Government is refusing to let a school reclaim an old oval as a sportsground because it stands to make too much money from developing it — including eight-storey high-rises.

10/12/15. Mercedes College wants the football and cricket oval kept at Glenside Hospital as part of the State Government sale of the land. Students Alex Senior - 16yrs (Fullarton) and Henry Baker - 17yrs (Little Hampton) in front of oval. Pic Keryn Stevens

• 1000 homes, apartments planned for Glenside site
• Plan for 1000 new homes on land surrounding Glenside hospital
• School wants to save oval earmarked for apartments
• Preferred builder picked for $300m Glenside development

THE State Government has ruled out retaining an oval on the Glenside hospital site because the money it will get from developing the land is too important.

Mercedes College had asked government agency Renewal SA if it could take over the oval on the southwestern corner of the Glenside site for its football and cricket teams.

The government has earmarked the site for eight-storey buildings.

Renewal SA property general manager Michael Buchan last week said the school’s proposal was not “consistent” with government plans to develop up to 1000 houses on the 17ha site, off Fullarton and Greenhill roads.

“It would require the removal of trees (along Fullarton Rd) and a potentially higher density of housing for the remainder of the site,” Mr Buchan said.

Mercedes principal Peter Daw said Renewal SA had, in an email to the school, said preserving the oval as open space would have reduced the land available to developers by 30 per cent, which would have a “significant impact to financial return to government”.

In 2007, the State Government promised to use money from the sale of the Glenside hospital site to fund a new mental health centre.

Despite the knockback, Mr Daw said he would continue attempts to “convince” the government that the area should be retained for school sport and public use.

“In a society that is justifiably concerned about childhood obesity … it is sad that we cannot develop more opportunities for young people to play organised sport,” Mr Daw said.

“(There is) the need for young people — not just Mercedes students — to have access to formal open space, as there is a dearth of ovals.”

A masterplan for the Glenside housing estate is expected to be released in April.

Draft plans include 5ha of open space at the northwestern corner of the site.