Developer to take North Sydney Council to court in $109.4m plan for St Leonards towers after resident objections

A Sydney developer is taking a north shore council to court in a battle over a major housing project that nearby locals claims will ‘obliterate’ their harbour views and drive down property prices.

A Sydney developer is taking a north shore council to court in a battle over a major housing project near the newly opened Crows Nest Metro train station.

A $109.4 million bid to build 137 units on a large development site at Chandos St in St Leonards is set to be determined in the Land and Environment Court after the proposal was “refused” by North Sydney Council.

The refusal follows objections from local residents who raised concerns the scale of the development which some locals said could block harbour views from surrounding units.

John Spiteri, a recent purchaser of a nearby property, said his “stunning panoramic views” would be “totally obstructed” by the development which would “undoubtedly lead to an invasion of my visual and acoustic privacy” as well as driving down his property value.

Other submissions from residents have raised concerns over the impact on traffic congestion and on-street parking which they claimed is already “difficult for residents of local streets”.

A concept image of the proposed development.

Plans by developer TWT Global show the development would have two separate buildings standing 11 and 12 storeys tall, incorporating units, commercial space, retail areas, and a public park.

There would also be pedestrian links, 141 basement car parking spaces and landscaping works.

Plans stated the development would “deliver high-quality residential dwellings within a strategic location, close to jobs, entertainment, places of interest, and public transport”.

The development would have 137 units.

The development is also located 500m from near the new Crows Nest Metro station which is set to trigger a spike in new housing projects in the coming years.

The NSW Government currently has plans to reclassify land within a 1200m radius around the new station as an ‘accelerated growth’ precinct with the aim of providing 3255 new homes to meet housing demand.

North Sydney Council has raised objections to the plans including a lack of open space, social infrastructure and recreation facilities to cope with the anticipated population surge.

An overview of land earmarked for increased density under the rezoning plans for Crows Nest and surrounding suburbs.

“Rezoning the precinct to be primarily residential could also affect the function of the St Leonards and Crows Nest area as a commercial centre, including its capacity for employment,” the council’s submission on the plans stated.

TWT Group lodged the appeal after the council failed to determine the proposal within the standard 40-day requirement.

The company’s managing director Gavin Zhang said: “Across the state, the development industry is being impacted by a broken planning system where constant delays are one of the reasons NSW looks like it will fail to reach its housing targets.”

“TWT has invested significant effort in a great proposal to create much needed homes and enliven this part of St Leonards and Crows Nest, so we are optimistic about the outcome.

“There are no high-rise buildings that sit to the north of 55-89 Chandos Street, so there is no way the proposed building could block harbour views of surrounding units, so we are uncertain as to what those comments relate to specifically.

“St Leonards and Crows Nest are only growing in popularity thanks to the proximity to employment opportunities, health care services, education, recreation, and now – with the new Sydney Metro line operational – such a critical transport link.”

The Land and Environment Court is due to holds its first hearing into the matter on September 12.

Other features of the proposed development at 55-69 and 71-89 Chandos St include rooftop communal areas for residents with barbecue areas, sun lounges and a ‘fire pit’.