County Road Reserve, Frenchs Forest: No toilets or change rooms, but its $6m upgrade halted indefinitely

A $6m upgrade of a popular Sydney sports field, where players are forced to go to the toilet in the bushes because there is no amenities block, has been halted by planning officials. See why.

A promised $6 million makeover of a popular northern beaches’ sports field, which doesn’t even have toilets or changing rooms, has been put on the backburner, indefinitely.

Although soccer players have to relieve themselves in nearby scrub at County Road Reserve at Belrose, planning officials have postponed the upgrade because of Covid.

The revamp, to be funded through the state government’s “Parks for People” program, was to include an amenities block — with change rooms for men and woman — an improved football pitch and parking for 40 cars.

A playground, which included access to children with disabilities; a multipurpose playing court as well as “discovery and learning walkways’ in neighbouring bushland, were also included in the proposal.

An artist's impression of the proposed upgraded facilities at County Road Reserve at Belrose. Picture: NSW Government

The County Road project, along with a separate $3 million revamp of Nandi Reserve at nearby Frenchs Forest, was announced by former Coalition Government Planning Minister Rob Stokes and went on public display in September 2021.

A spokesman from the Department of Planning and Environment has now confirmed the County Road reserve upgrade has been halted.

“As shared with stakeholders earlier this year, cost escalations from the pandemic impacted delivery plans for County Road Reserve, which have been postponed for the time being,” he said.

The proposed landscape plan for the upgraded Country Road Reserve, Belrose. Picture: Arcadia Landscape architecture

“Early offsite construction has commenced on the Nandi Reserve project, with construction on site set to start in early 2024.”

President of Wakehurst Football Club, which uses the reserve as one of its home grounds, Greg Dick, said he had not been advised of the postponed work.

Mr Dick said that he had been chasing the Planning Department “for months” on whether the project would go ahead.

County Road Reserve at Belrose. Soccer players have to relieve themselves in nearby bushland because there are no toilets. Picture: Supplied

“There are no toilets, so we can’t have female games there. There is insufficient parking and there are no lights, so you can’t train there.

“In the year with the women’s football World Cup and an expected increase in participation, especially by females next year, we were hopeful of gaining additional facilities and playing fields.”

Mr Dick said the club could only schedule male games at County Road because there were no toilets or change rooms.

“The blokes just wander into the bushes to go to the toilet.”

An artist's impression of the proposed amenities block at County Road Reserve at Belrose. Picture: Arcadia Landscape Architecture

Northern Beaches mayor Sue Heins said the council was “disappointed” that the County Road Reserve project was postponed.

“We believe its development would have delivered significant recreational benefits to the local community,” Cr Heins said.

“We will continue to strongly advocate that the project be fully funded by the NSW Government.”

Cr Heins said the council appreciated that the Nandi Reserve project was still going ahead.

This bush reserve, sandwiched between Wakehurst Parkway and Nandi Ave, is crisscrossed with unofficial walking paths and has Trefoil Creek running through it.

An artist's impression of one of the nature walkways within Nandi Reserve, Frenchs Forest. Picture: NSW Government

The designers of the plans wrote on a Planning Department website that they wanted to create “journeys throughout the site, allowing people to gather, spaces for quiet reflection, and play elements that are in harmony with the natural setting”.

The plans include a network of raised boardwalks along with exercise loops, accessible pathways, lookouts and rest points as well as cultural awareness and interpretation points.

“Working closely with environment experts as well as local First Nations leaders, there are also opportunities to introduce fauna crossings and enhancements to nesting sites,” the designers wrote.

“Connecting the site to country through activities such as cultural burning are being explored.”