St Luke’s Grammar School: $20m plans revealed, with surprise traffic report for controversial build
A grand $20m expansion of one of the peninsula’s best performing schools includes a brand new pool and basketball courts, as well as more classrooms for an extra 600 students. SEE WHAT IT WILL LOOK LIKE HERE.
Manly
Don't miss out on the headlines from Manly. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Dramatic video shows divers saving shark
- Poll reveals drivers unhappy with new ’beyond slow’ speed limit
New artist impressions of the $20m proposal to expand St Luke’s Grammar School have been revealed, as a report found that there will be less traffic in the area once it is completed than there is now.
The existing campus of the private Anglican school – where parents pay up to $24,500 a year to send their children – is based in Headland Rd in Dee Why.
But now it wants to expand its footprint to create a new senior campus for Years 10 to 12 at 800 Pittwater Rd, which is currently home to Fitness First, Officeworks and a medical centre, with a new sports centre at 224 Headland Rd, which at the moment houses industrial units.
The expanded school will ultimately have a capacity of 1600 students comprising of 1000 preschool to Year 9 students, with 120 staff at 210 Headland Road, and 600 Year 10-12 students, with 60 staff at 800 Pittwater Road.
Surrounding residents unhappy with the proposal fear increased traffic and problems with parking.
They have even set up a Facebook group called St Luke’s Resistance to fight the plans.
However, a report by Varga Traffic Planning commissioned by the planning applicant may help alleviate concerns over the extra 600 students coming to the site and the increase in cars that will bring.
After conducting modelling and traffic surveys of the intersections of Pittwater Rd and Harbord Rd, and Harbord Rd and Headland Rd, the traffic planning consultants found while there will be some increase in traffic during school drop-off and pick-up, overall there will a huge drop in cars using the two sites, compared with now.
It predicted the number of cars will reduce from 2931 vehicles to 740 vehicles a day at 800 Pittwater Rd.
The report found that during the morning school peak hour traffic will increase by 96 vehicles, two-way, when compared with the existing uses of the site, but during the afternoon school peak hour it will decrease by 80 cars when compared with the existing uses of the site.
At 224 Headland Road, which will be the site of a new school sports centre with basketball courts and a pool, it found will the number of cars using the site will drop from 201 vehicles to 78 a day.
However, traffic during the morning school peak hour will increase slightly by 18 cars and increase by 25 during the afternoon school peak hour.
In a report by the Northern Beaches Council published as part of the exhibition it said in the past it had placed limitations on further incremental increases to the school enrolments due to associated school traffic management problems and insufficient school carparking.
It recommended the school engages with surrounding residents in order to clarify issues that are of “critical concern to them”.
The school’s private planning consultant said the proposal is of public benefit by increasing the supply of classrooms and facilities, which will cater for increased enrolment pressures and be available for the use of the broader community.
The build will also create new construction jobs and up to 60 additional full-time equivalent operational jobs.
The proposed development will be undertaken in three stages with stage one being the sports centre at 224 Headland Road starting mid-2022; the senior school campus at 800 Pittwater Road commencing mid-2025 and a third stage at that site senior school campus at 800 Pittwater Road beginning mid-2029.
The I-MED lease agreement end date is August 2024; Fitness First lease agreement ends on June 2025 and Officeworks in 2026.
The planning application is currently open for exhibition with submissions due to close on July 29.