Glenhaven Mosque: Council, community group slams DA before JRPP meeting
Controversial plans for a multimillion-dollar mosque in Sydney’s north west have been slammed by a Sydney Council as worshippers and residents await a decision.
Hills Shire
Don't miss out on the headlines from Hills Shire. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Statewide Flammable cladding crisis: More than 1400 buildings combustible
- Glenhaven Mosque: NSW Planning Department delay decision
- Date set for decision on Glenhaven Mosque development proposal
- Hills Shire Council raise multiple objections to Glenhaven mosque
The Hills Shire Council has stood its ground against a controversial, $7.5 million development application for a mosque in Glenhaven — calling for a NSW Planning Panel to reject the proposal when it is determined next week.
Hills Shire Council officers issued a scathing list of objections to the modified proposal for a 250-person place of worship at 1 Larapinta Pl, Glenhaven, by the Hills District Muslim Society.
Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne said it was up to the regional planning panel to decide whether the development is appropriate.
“No one is against development of the site, however any development of this site needs to be appropriate, fit into the semirural residential zone, provide enough carparking and have minimal impact on the surrounding residents,” Cr Byrne told The Times.
“The residents of Glenhaven have every right to be concerned about the scale of the development and the impact on Glenhaven Road in terms of traffic and carparking.”
Cr Byrne said the last thing Glenhaven Rd needs is further development “adding to traffic woes”.
A Friends of Glenhaven spokesman said the development has disrupted the community and
“paralysed people from moving on with their lives”.
“It will not meet the needs of the applicant now nor into the future when their membership grows.
“This development will not provide a benefit now or in the future for the existing Glenhaven community. It is not in the public interest.
This week, council’s principal executive planner issued a response following the lengthy reassessment of the multi-million development application, which has been scaled down from a 400-space place of worship, since the proposal was deferred by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel in September last year.
The planning manager said the Hills District Muslim Society’s development application for the mosque failed to comply with a series of regulations including excessive site coverage, boundary setbacks, the disposal of waste water, excavation, landscape screening, acoustic and noise impacts, a lack of parking spaces and a lack of information provided as part of the development application.
However, council raised major concerns around fears the mosque could cater for a larger occupancy rate than suggested.
“There is a significant difference in the area used for prayer mats and the actual floor area of each prayer hall,” the planning manager said. “Based on a Building Code of Australia rate for churches … the prayer halls alone could accommodate 495 persons.”
The plan of management in the development said a counter would be stationed at the main entry to each prayer hall to count the number of worshippers.
“It is maintained that should the development be approved in its current form there is no
practical means to control numbers of people attending the site and consequential impacts
including noise and off street car parking,” the planning manager said.
An independent peer review was conducted around traffic and parking at the site, with concerns relating to insufficient parking provisions, incomplete traffic modelling, lack of planning for road redevelopment, car park design and the impracticality of the plan of management raised.
The Hills Shire Council has received a total of 1238 objections and 441 submissions supporting the proposal.
The Hills District Muslim Society was contacted for comment.