Pymble Ladies’ College: Pymble private school’s Grey House Precinct development plans

An exclusive all-girls private school could soon receive a mega revamp, including a dance academy, but a number of residents have raised concerns. Get your first look at the plans here.

An exclusive Sydney private school could soon receive a mega expansion of its already impressive facilities after fresh documents were lodged with the NSW Planning Department, but residents and government figures have raised concerns.

Pymble Ladies’ College (PLC), a Kindergarten to Year 12 private school, has submitted an application for a $46 million redevelopment of its Grey House Precinct.

PLC is located at 20 Avon Rd, Pymble — a leafy suburban area in Sydney’s north shore. It sits on a 20ha site, bordered by Avon Rd to the north and Avondale golf course to the south.

What the redevelopment of the Grey House Precinct could look like … artist impression by Willow Tree Planning

The proposed Grey House Precinct would be five storeys in height and would replace existing demountable teaching spaces which currently occupy the site.

On PLC’s website, the development would be a “world-class educational and co-curricular facility”, which prioritises students and staff wellbeing.

According to the developer’s plans, this precinct would not result in an increased student population. However, it would make room a new pre-Kindergarten intake of students, with capacity for 90 children.

If approved, this new building would also contain junior school classrooms, STEM labs, an Early Learning Centre (ELC), Out of School Hours Care (OSHC) facilities and outdoor learning spaces.

There would also be health and wellbeing rooms as well as space for a dance academy.

The proposed development would contain outdoor learning spaces

An artist’s impression of the proposed development.

According to plans lodged by PLC, this development would provide “a better environment” for the school’s existing student and staff population.

“(The proposed precinct) will create a high-quality teaching and learning environment for students and staff,” planning documents state.

“(It will also) deliver enhanced public benefit by opening many of the new facilities for use by the broader community.”

But in public submissions lodged to the NSW Planning Department, numerous residents have voiced their concerns with this proposal.

A common thread relates to the increased traffic this development could result in as well as the height of the proposed precinct, with one member of the public labelling this proposal “a slap in the face”.

The proposed development is for a five-storey building.

Ku-ring-gai state MP Alister Henskens echoed these concerns in a letter to the Planning Department.

“Nearby residents are concerned that the local traffic will increase both during and after construction and become unsafe for residents and pedestrians including students,” Mr Henskens stated.

“The impact (on) the streetscape also concerns residents who feel that the scale and form of the building … does not respect the heritage streetscape.”

PLC has been approached for comment. The development application will be determined by the NSW Government in the coming months.