Planning boss Carl Scully unleashes on Coogee Bay Hotel over venue’s move to scrap noise modelling in $111m redevelopment

‘Waffling on’, ‘refusing to play ball’ and ‘tedious’ are just some of the choice words used by the chair of a Sydney planning body to sum up a noise row centred on the Coogee Bay Hotel.

The chair of a powerful Sydney planning body has unleashed on the Coogee Bay Hotel over its contentious move to have key sound conditions scrapped as part of a major redevelopment of the venue.

Carl Scully – the chair of the Sydney Central Planning Panel – has accused planners on behalf of the venue of “refusing to play ball”, “waffling on” and having to be “dragged to the alter” in a heated row over the hotel’s bid to scrap noise modelling requirements aimed at ensuring the development does not lead to excessive noise impacts on nearby residents.

The expansion will see parts of the waterfront hotel demolished to make way for multistorey units, shops, a dining precinct, outdoor terraces, a new hotel wing and a function centre.

The approval was made on the condition that the venue complete a noise masterplan to ensure increased usage of the venue does not create noise and other disturbances in the beachside suburb.

But almost a year after the development plans were approved, the venue now wants the condition scrapped – arguing it is unnecessary and “extremely onerous”.

The redevelopment of the venue will include new dining and entertainment areas.

Multiple residents have slammed the move along with Randwick Council which argues the noise condition was specifically in place to “protect the amenity” of the community.

The venue, however, has stated the removal of the noise condition will “not result in any adverse impacts” and that the venue will “still operate within relevant noise criteria”.

Planning panel chair and former NSW MP Carl Scully.

Coogee resident Rona Wade said the removal of the condition could lead to noise impacts for nearby residents.

Mr Scully – a former state Labor MP and Transport Minister who now chairs the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel which determines large development projects in inner Sydney – described the hotel’s plans as lacking justification and detail.

Those concerns, he said, were underscored by the venue’s refusal to hand over key documents relating to noise modelling which he said had “raised suspicions” about the impact of the development on the community.

“Once you were not prepared to hand the noise modelling data that had raised suspicions about what the venue knew about the (noise) impacts of the proposed usage,” he said.

“And not wanting to complete a noise mitigation plan just raises the suspicion.

“I feel like this has had all the molars pulled out from the back of the mouth (and) it’s very frustrating – this could have been resolved yonks ago.”

The condition was designed to mitigate noise impacts from the venue.

His comments – made during a public meeting also attended by residents and Randwick Council staff – included questions about why the venue had previously committed to comply with the noise condition only to subsequently seek to withdraw it.

Jacqueline Parker, a planning representative for the Coogee Bay Hotel, said the venue had always intended to comply with noise conditions but in “working through the details of what it required” had discovered it was “extremely onerous”.

A concept image of the redevelopment.

The Coogee Bay Hotel has meanwhile filed legal action against Randwick Council in the Land and Environment Court in a move to have the noise condition dropped.

It is understood a court hearing will be held in late July to consider the matter.

But Mr Scully questioned why the venue had made the “strange” decision to pursue legal action against the council – describing it as “waste of time of money”.

He also noted the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel will have a final say in a decision on whether the condition can be removed as part of the Land and Environment Court process.

“I’m not going to tick off a (court settlement) that really hasn’t gone the full mile to deal with the council’s concerns on this,” he said.

The development will include a new “eat street” dining area.

Coogee resident George Roumanous – who spoke at the public meeting – said the noise mitigation measures were vital to ensure noise impacts are “properly mitigated for the fairness of surrounding residents”.

Coogee resident Rona Wade also hit out at the venue’s bid to remove the noise condition.

“The current outdoor beer garden is already a massive source of noise and the new outdoor areas will be adjacent to homes and could represent an unacceptable impact on the community,” she said.

The Coogee Bay Hotel has been contacted for further comment.