Height restrictions doubled in Holsworthy as part of high-rise apartment towers plan
There are plans to turn a vacant plot of land into high-rise buildings at a south-west Sydney suburb — and now there has also been support to allow for a whopping height limit increase for the planned towers.
Liverpool
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Towers up to 12 storeys high could be built at the site of the proposed Holsworthy town centre after a plan to double the maximum building height received in-principle support from Liverpool Council.
The tallest building can now stand at 45m high — up from 21m — at 2 Macarthur Dr, Holsworthy.
With Holsworthy railway station as its neighbour, the site, which is currently vacant, is intended for a mixed-used development by proponents Holsworthy Developments Pty Ltd.
Several applications — including for a McDonald’s restaurant and a smaller mixed-use development — have been lodged in the past and approved, but were never realised.
At its October meeting, Liverpool councillors voted to support a planning proposal in principle, with the condition that a site contamination investigation be completed.
As well as increasing the maximum building height from 21m to part 24m and part 45m, the proposal sought to increase the floor space ratio and impose a maximum gross floor area of 9000 sqm for retail uses.
A planning proposal, as distinct from a development application, relates to what is allowed to be developed on a particular site.
Within this framework, the town centre could include six residential towers ranging from six to 12 storeys with the potential for 350 dwellings, basement parking, a village square and a retail centre.
Under a voluntary planning agreement, the developer would undertake works to upgrade the existing roundabout on Macarthur Dr to a signalised intersection along with other road improvements, and provide a minimum of 1000 sqm of open space.
Liverpool Community Independents Team councillor Karress Rhodes said she supported high-rise developments near railway stations, but had concerns for traffic impacts along Heathcote Rd, which falls under State Government jurisdiction.
“I think that you’ve got to think that these are developments for the future. If you’re going to have greater densities of population, to my way of thinking, it stands to reason to put it where there is a railway station so they’ve got another means of transportation other than by motor vehicle,” she said.
“Notwithstanding the pressure on Heathcote Rd or greater traffic coming into the area and the school that is in the local area … if you’re going to do it, that’s an appropriate position to put it in.”
Cr Rhodes said she would wait to see the details put forward by the applicant.
Labor councillor Charishma Kaliyanda said there was demand in the community for commercial and retail spaces close to Holsworthy train station, adding upgrades to local roads should be a focus.
The council resolved to forward the planning proposal to the Planning, Industry and Environment Department for gateway determination.