Residents warn of planning loophole during their opposition to St Luke’s Grammar development

Residents opposing plans to expand a northern beaches primary school are warning that unwanted community developments could also affect your neighbourhood unless this planning loophole is closed.

Residents are angry at the St Luke’s Grammar School development plan (inset).

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Residents opposing plans to expand a primary school in Dee Why are warning that unwanted community developments could also happen on your street unless a planning loophole is closed.

The caution comes after residents met to discuss St Luke’s Grammar School’s multistorey primary campus development, which principal Jann Robinson said was compliant under a State Environmental Planning Policy (SEPP).

An artist impression of the St Luke's Grammar School development plans.

A SEPP is a legal instrument made by the State Government to deal with matters of state significance such as affordable housing, aged care and education.

It allows projects that help meet an area’s needs to bypass council planning laws.

Long-term resident Tim Swales, who met with other neighbours of the school to discuss the expansion, said it was important that people understood a SEPP meant Northern Beaches Council had no jurisdiction over the four-storey development.

He encouraged residents to write to Mrs Robinson, Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies and Planning Minister Anthony Roberts to share their despair and stop developments such as this happening in other areas.

“This could happen on your street — and not just schools but with boarding houses and old people’s homes,” he said.

“Council has no say on this, even in an area zoned low-density residential.”

An increase in student numbers — which Mrs Robinson is believed to have promised would remain the same at a meeting in 2010 — was another hot topic discussed at the residents meeting.

Despite multiple attempts to contact St Luke’s Grammar about the matter, Mrs Robinson did not comment.