Developers propose $350m development for 200 homes in Castle Hill Showground precinct

Developers have submitted plans for a series of major high-rise residential apartment towers in the Castle Hill Showground precinct — revolutionising the heart of an entire block in changing community.

A concept development for a new $350 million development in the Castle Hill Showground Precinct featuring 255 units across five apartment buildings.

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Developers have submitted multimillion-dollar concept plans for a series of major high-rise residential apartment towers in the Castle Hill Showground precinct — revolutionising the heart of an entire block in changing community.

A $350 million residential proposal for more than 200 homes was submitted by developers Castle Hill Panorama on February 20, earmarking the development of five apartment buildings ranging from four to seven storeys in height.

The development will make up the entire block at Cadman Cres, Castle Hill.

The concept proposal for Cadman Crescent, Castle Hill comes just days after the NSW Government Independent Planning Commission knocked back a $3 billion masterplanned proposal for more than 3600 homes in the same precinct.

Castle Hill Panorama project director Adam Coburn said the site was made up of multiple lots, with a combined site area of approximately 12,403.8m2.

“The site is bound by Cadman Cres and Hughes Ave and is located approximately 650m south from the future Showground Road Metro Station,” Mr Coburn said in a concept development application for the proposal.

255 homes would be constructed as part of the proposal.

The application proposes the construction of five residential apartment buildings across more an 26,000sq m and a total of 255 units ranging from one to four bedrooms.

“The concept proposes five residential flat buildings that wrap around the perimeter of the site, reinforcing the street wall and interface with the public realm,” Mr Coburn said.

“The building envelope, separation and heights have been designed to protect existing high-value trees on the site in the central courtyard.

Buildings would range from four to eight storeys.

“The breaks between each building also facilitate east-west pedestrian desire lines and connections.”

Mr Coburn said a landscape concept plan was designed to provide residents with four key outdoor spaces including a public hill, rooftop garden, communal park at ground level and another one level one of a residential building.

“The landscape concept includes a diverse selection of communal spaces with different landscape character including fire pit, BBQ area, open lawn areas, dining spaces, multi-use terraces and water play,” he said.

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A concept development for 255 units across five apartment buildings in Cadman Cres, Castle Hill.

Mr Coburn said the project has been in the works for more than a year and the team were aware of recent developments and refusals in the precinct.

“The developers started the process before the masterplan was completed, and we are confident moving forward with the concept development application,” Mr Coburn told the Times.

He said the proposal was “generally compliant with The Hills Local Environmental Plan” however, the developer was requesting variations to building heights.

A concept development for a new $350 million development in the Castle Hill Showground Precinct featuring 255 units across five apartment buildings.

Showground Residents Matter Action Group spokesman Paul Cook said he sees “little chance” of the concept development application for Cadman Cres being approved, following the rejection of Showground Corporation’s $3 billion masterplan.

“During the Showground review by the Independent Planning Commission, the council state it had many application in process, insinuating there was a lot of development,” he said.

“When asked how many council had approved over the past five years, council had to respond ‘none’.

“We are now six years into the development of a priority precinct and nothing has been approved for development — the only development being considered are council- and government-owned properties that are all exceeding 20 storeys.”

Paul Cook of the Showground residents action group. Picture: AAP Image/Joel Carrett

Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne.

Following the commission’s findings, Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne said developers should come up with plans that “meets the needs and desires of current and future residents, and respects the controls put in place by the Planning Department”.

“The NSW Government put these controls in place to manage growth effectively within an area that cannot support a population increase without the right infrastructure in place — including schools and active open space — and the Commission understands this,” Cr Byrne said.

The Castle Hill Showground precinct.

MORE: THE LATEST ON THE SHOWGROUND PRECINCT

Multimillion-dollar plans for the Castle Hill Showground precinct have been revived — after it was revealed developers put proposals on ice earlier this year.

Several development applications and proposal have been suggested for the Showground Precinct, as development in the precinct begins to return.

The gazettal of an amended and restrictive precinct plan for the Hills Showground precinct saw several developers, including Mirvac and CG Group, pull out of multi-million proposals for the growing precinct.

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