David Oldfield: Former One Nation MP’s $17m Belrose seniors’ living redevelopment bid fails
Former One Nation MP David Oldfield wants to transform his old northern beaches’ marital home into a $17 million development for seniors. See what the planning officials thought.
Manly
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A $17.5 million bid by former controversial One Nation politician and celebrity TV regular David Oldfield to transform his former family home into a multistorey retirement village has failed.
Planning authorities have knocked back plans for 35 seniors living units on the northern beaches property he used to share with his former wife Lisa Oldfield, and their two children.
The high-profile couple — Ms Oldfield was an original cast member of Real Housewives of Sydney — separated in 2019. They bought the one-hectare property on Forest Way, with ocean and bushland views, for $1.89m in 2011.
Mr Oldfield was an Upper House MP in the NSW parliament from 1999 to 2007. He also served on Manly Council from 1991-98 and was an adviser to former federal Liberal MP for Warringah, Tony Abbott.
He was a controversial co-founder of the One Nation political party with currrent senator Pauline Hanson. He was expelled from that party in 2000 after a public falling out with Senator Hanson.
The Oldfield couple separated after 17 years together, soon after their colourful appearance on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here!
Plans lodged with Northern Beaches Council, listing the property owner as David Ernest Oldfield, showed a series of separate pavilions, stepped down the sloping site, with views east to the ocean.
The six buildings included 35 units for seniors and people living with disabilities. There would be 12 two-bedroom dwellings and 23 three-bedroom units.
A series of common spaces, communal rooms, and courtyard areas would link the buildings. Basement parking for 72 vehicles would also be provided.
In documents lodged with the DA, architect Barry Rush wrote that the proposed development had been designed to respond to Belrose’s natural environment as well as afford a “high level of amenity to future occupants”.
“The proposed building integrates the landscape features as essential components of the development,” Mr Rush said.
But in a submission to the council, the Belrose Rural Community Association objected to the “this large inappropriate” redevelopment of the site.
Association president Conny Harris wrote that it was “high intensity, high impact” and the “bushfire risk is substantial”
And the independent Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel agreed with a council assessment that the redevelopment be refused because it exceeded the maximum 8.5m building height development standard by more than 50 per cent.
It also had concerns about the scale and bulk of the development; potential soil contamination and bushfire risk.
“The proposal is of excessive height, bulk and scale and has not adequately responded to the site topography,” the council assessment report noted.
Attempts have been made to contact Mr Oldfield for comment.
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