Frenchs Forest Bushland Cemetery to get $6.8m expansion revealed
A multimillion-dollar proposal for Frenchs Forest Bushland Cemetery could see demolition works and the construction of a new chapel and more.
Manly
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A long established cemetery on the northern beaches is tipped for a $6.8m expansion which would see two chapels on the site and 213 parking spots for “special events”.
Plans for the Frenchs Forest Bushland Cemetery on Hakea Rd have been made to address a “shortage of cemetery capacity” in wider Sydney.
Planning documents submitted on the Northern Beaches Council website show the proposed works include bulldozing the existing caretaker’s cottage; a new non-denominational chapel with capacity for 131 people and an operations shed.
The proposed chapel’s design was inspired by it’s surroundings with a floating timber roof, “representative of the sky, the cosmos and heavens” and slender timber columns which would reflect “the tiered structure of the Australian bush”.
The chapel would also have a mortuary for the purpose of preparing “deceased persons as part of funeral services and burials”.
The project also comprises the construction of a new storage and operations shed, the expansion of the administration building for a small function room, new toilet amenities and the provision of more parking spaces.
There would also be landscaping works including an ash garden and additional tree planting.
The site is Crown land which is managed by Northern Metropolitan Cemeteries Land with the new plans designed by heritage specialist firm, Hector Abrahams Architects.
Northern Cemeteries CEO Pauline Tritton said the proposed development will “expand our capacity and improve the general amenity and attractiveness of the site”.
“This development will help us to better service current and future generations of our diverse communities with their individual cultural, traditional and religious needs,” Ms Tritton
She confirmed neighbouring residents had been informed of plans and the project was being “sensitively managed” while “preparing for future requirements”.
The site is currently made up of 18,000 burial areas, an administration building, a function room, a shed, an un-used manager’s residence, a carpark with 16 car spaces and an unofficial car park.
Details on council’s website reveal the applicant is seeking an ‘exception’ to building height, as the chapel exceeds the 8.5m height restrictions by 2.47m.
The cemetery was established by the Metropolitan Lands Department in 1937 with the first burial taking place in 1940.
It was previously known as Frenchs Forest General Cemetery, with the name changed in 1990 to “reflect the site’s bushland setting”.
Unlike other cemeteries in Sydney, Frenchs Forest Bushland Cemetery is not at full burial capacity, with space available to accommodate future needs for deaths in the community “for many years to come”.