Hills Shire Council stripped of planning authority over Bull’n’Bush hotel site development
THE HILLS Shire Council has been stripped of yet another planning power — following an ongoing battle with developers Dyldam over plans to transform the Bull’n’Bush Hotel site into high-rise towers.
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THE HILLS Shire Council has been stripped of yet another planning power — following an ongoing battle with developers Dyldam over plans to transform the Bull’n’Bush Hotel site into high-rise towers.
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The proposal to build three multi-storey towers at the site, at the junction of Windsor, Seven Hills and Old Northern roads, sought the demolition of the hotel for 200 apartments in two 15-storey towers and an eight-storey tower, with a library and community centre to be sold back to the council.
Hills Shire Council lost planning authority over the proposal after calling for the Dyldam to withdraw its application in December last year, resulting in the NSW Planning Department issuing the Sydney City Central Planning Panel with approval authority.
In December, councillors said local infrastructure would be unable to meet the demands of the size and scale of the proposal.
Hills Shire Mayor Michelle Byrne said she stands by those claims today.
“The Baulkham Hills Town Centre at this point in time cannot cope with further development,” Cr Byrne said.
“The roads through the Baulkham Hills Town Centre need to be upgraded in order to cope with the traffic levels we already have without the increase in traffic caused by further development.”
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West Ward councillor Mike Thomas said the intersection of Windsor and Seven Hills roads is “one of the worst in the state” and said the planning panel should consider what this development would do to the community.
“These planning panels have no interest on the impact their decisions have on our residents,” he said.
“They do not care about our community and have no regard or interest on our community.
“Our residents will never get any justice with these conflicted, bureaucratic panels.”
Councillors revealed they were still yet to hear from the State Government about proposed upgrades to the intersection and told the Times they rejected the proposal by Dyldam because it could not guarantee the outcomes would benefit the wider community.
Dyldam purchased the landmark site in 2015, claiming it would establish a new town centre with a mix of residential, retail and civic uses.
Dyldam chief operating officer Remon Fayad said the developer has worked with council for two years on the proposal.
“At the council meeting where councillors were to vote on the preferred option, council instead requested that Dyldam withdraw the planning proposal,” Mr Fayad said.
“This request triggered the Planning Department taking on the role of planning authority for this project.”
NSW Planning Department spokeswoman said the Planning Department did not strip council of its authority.
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“The Hills Shire Council itself resolved not to support and not to proceed with its planning proposal, after initially agreeing to proceed,” she said.
“As is allowed by legislation, the developer, Dyldam, requested the appointment of an alternative planning proposal authority.”
If approved, the proposal would see the amendment of land zoning, height and floor space ratios to allow the construction of several high-rise towers at the landmark site.