One Norwest resident, who did not wish to be named, said the level of residential development applications being submitted in Norwest was crippling opportunities for commercial space.

“This is a real issue impacting commercial space in Norwest, there is not enough balance between residential and office space,” she said.

The protest against the number of residential development applications for Norwest Business Park comes as developers submitted a revised development application for the construction of four high-rise residential towers at 7 Maitland Pl, Norwest.

The original planning proposal, which was approved by the NSW Government and Hills Shire Council in 2016, featured a mix of commercial and residential space.

However, the development application for the site earmarks 290 apartments across buildings ranging from five and 25 storeys in height, a 100sq m neighbourhood shop and commercial space for 150 new jobs.

The development application argues the residential and commercial proposal for 7 Maitland Pl, is in a suitable location.

“The site is located within close proximity of the Norwest town centre and future metro rail station and enjoys a high level of accessibility to a range of employment, shops, services, schools, open space, and health and community services,” the application said.

“While the strategy identified the site as remaining in the commercial core, Council in rezoning the site considered that there is strategic justification and merit for a mixed use development.”

A spokesman for developer Boyuan Holdings said the commercial development was part of an “overall plan” for the enitre site.

“The proposed Commercial Zone also caters for the full social demographic spectrum, with childcare, through to wellness facilities, all within walking distance to the Norwest railway station,” the spokesman said.

“Our focus is on achieving the best commercial use out of the site, with the creation of over 150 jobs, benefitting the local community.”

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Several other high-density residential development applications and planning proposals have been submitted for the Norwest Business Park precinct in the past twelve months — including a revolutionary plan for thousands of new homes and businesses, as well as the development of a smart city structure by developers Mulpha Norwest.

Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne argued Norwest Business Park is The Hill’s primary employment area and “fulfils an increasingly important role as the region’s population continues to grow”.

“The goal of the business park zoning is to provide a range of office and light industrial uses, to encourage employment opportunities, to provide facilities or services to meet the day-to-day needs of workers in the area, and to make provision for high technology industries that use and develop advanced technologies, products and processes,” Cr Byrne told the Times. “Council has strategically zoned land to identify areas that are appropriate for residential development and areas that are appropriate for commercial development.

“There is plenty of land that has been zoned and reserved for residential development and we do not require additional residential land at the cost of losing land reserved for commercial purposes.”

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Cr Byrne said just 8.7 per cent of urban land in The Hills was zoned for commercial use.

“It is therefore critical that we protect the availability of our core employment lands … and to ensure that there is sufficient land zoned for commercial purposes to meet not only current and short-term demands, but also longer-term trends and demands in the future,” she said.

“This council has not supported plans in the past whereby a proponent has sought to rezone commercial land in the Park.

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“A recent example was during the August 28 Council Meeting, whereby the unanimous decision was made to not proceed with a mixed use development at Brookhollow Avenue.”

The planning proposal for Brookhollow Ave, Norwest included 42,000sq m of commercial floor space and 480 residential units within four buildings up to 23 storeys in height.