Residents outraged over developers exemption to 3 tonne weight limit on trucks

Surry Hills residents are up in arms about the three-tonne weight limit on trucks in the Baptist Street Heritage Conservation Area not applying to those servicing the Surry Hills Shopping Village redevelopment.

Residents of Baptist St Surry Hills in protest after finding out trucks servicing the Surry Hill Shopping Centre would be exempt from the 3 tonne weight limit of vehicles. Picture: Monique Harmer

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“WHAT’S happened to our heritage halo.”

That’s the message from Baptist St Surry Hills residents after finding out the three-tonne weight limit on trucks in the Baptist Street Heritage Conservation Area does not apply to those servicing the Surry Hills Shopping Village redevelopment.

Andrew Bannatyne alerted his neighbours to the issue last week. Picture: Monique Harmer.

Andrew Bannatyne alerted his neighbours to the issue last week, where in a letter he wrote: “You may know that Council has now approved the redevelopment of the Surry Hills Shopping complex, into 150 apartments and shopping complex,” he said.

“In doing so, the Council exempted the site from the Baptist Street Heritage Conservation area and gave an extraordinary range of concessions to the developers, TOGA.”

Mr Bannatyne was also alarmed to find out that “Council intends to approve the ongoing use by Coles of its double-B delivery trucks forever down Baptist Street,” he said.

Baptist Road Surry Hills

“A lot of us are frankly supportive of the redevelopment but to do those two things without any consultation or any notice,” he said.

“Residents are complaining they are trying to do cosmetic changes to their heritage listed building, but council are coming down on them with a tonne of bricks without any consultation and are just trashing that same area they want to protect.”

Resident Sarina Suriano-Keating said she is not happy about the changes.
“It’s supposed to be a heritage halo, it has been compromised,” Mrs Suriano-Keating said.

Baptist Road Surry Hills.

“It means pollutions, more dust and more traffic.

“They are proposing that for two years of construction, we’re going to have trucks up and down Baptist St, and then after construction the delivery trucks.

“We pay rates, we live in the community, we have a voice and we should be heard.

“Councillors need to come out of their burrows and explain what is going on with complete transparency.”

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Mrs Suriano-Keating is also concerned the trees may have to be cut down, because the canopy is too low for the trucks.

A City of Sydney spokesman said they have not removed the three tonne weight limit on Baptist St, however, the existing limit does not apply to trucks with a destination on the street.

“This means trucks can use the street to access Surry Hills Shopping Village,” the spokesman said.

“The City sent more than 2,500 notification letters to nearby residents and landowners about the planning proposal and 611 for the development application.

“The developer Toga also engaged Elton Consulting to run community consultation throughout October 2017.”

The exhibition of the planning proposal resulted in 59 submissions from members of the public.