Greenwich: Draft masterplan unveiled for long-awaited revitalisation of Bob Campbell Oval

Final plans to revitalise a popular North Sydney oval have been unveiled with initial plans for artificial turf scrapped. See the draft masterplan here.

Artist impressions from the first set of plans for the Bob Campbell Oval revitalisation. Picture: Lane Cove Council

Lane Cove Council is asking for community feedback in shaping the future of a popular oval in North Sydney.

Council has unveiled final plans for the revitalisation of Bob Campbell Oval and Gore Creek Reserve located on St Vincents Rd, Greenwich, with aims to provide a place of recreation for the community.

The revised draft masterplan includes a new amenities building, natural turf playing field and cricket pitch, new parking for 22 cars, overflow parking for 24 cars and a new open turf picnic area with shade shelters and BBQs.

A planner from the project said the council aimed to improve connectivity and accessibility of the space, while reusing existing assets where possible.

“The main outcomes are (to create) a space design that facilitates contemporary and future recreation needs as called for by the community,” the planner said.

The revised master plan proposes a new amenities building, a natural turf playing field and a new picnic area. Picture: Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects Pty Ltd

“This masterplan provides a cohesive design response that integrates best practice for all users while reinforcing and enhancing the environmental qualities of place.”

Plans also include a new shared pathway to Gore Rd, new stairs connecting the park to the harbour and relocated fitness equipment.

In preparing the proposal, Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects undertook three community stakeholder workshops, consulting with Greenwich Sports Club, North Shore Junior Cricket Club and Osborne Park residents.

All natural turf will be used on the oval after council received community backlash over plans to use synthetic turf. Picture: Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects Pty Ltd

Existing bushland and equipment are planned to be retained where possible. Picture: Taylor Brammer Landscape Architects Pty Ltd

The initial 2020 masterplan for Bob Campbell Oval cost around $3.2m and was met with community backlash, particularly in relation to plans to use artificial and expensive turf for the oval.

Community advocacy group ‘Natural Grass at Bob Campbell Oval’ was founded to protest against the originally proposed synthetic grass, resulting in a council decision in January 2022 to go forward with natural grass instead for the new field.

President of Natural Grass at Bob Campbell Oval, Martin Cunningham, said that while it was a positive story, there was still a bit of anxiety in terms of the tendering and final design of the project.

“I think they (Lane Cove Council) have got a lot of better input from the community and various organisations and there was a sense at the end that we got the masterplan that we deserve,” Mr Cunningham said.

A community consultation workshop took place in April 2022 to incorporate community feedback into the project. Picture: Andrew Zbik; Lane Cove Council Mayor Facebook

“The whole community turned out last weekend, about 2000 of us and held the Greenwich Village Games on the oval. There was a palpable sense of relief that the plastic grass had not replaced the natural … other communities not so lucky (sic).

“We’re looking forward to seeing how they’re actually going to deal with this grass pitch and make it a fantastic grass pitch for the community and for the sporting clubs.”

The group Natural Grass at Bob Campbell Oval was a key player in getting the masterplan developed. Picture: Natural Grass at Bob Campbell Oval

Julia Sharp, a member of Natural Grass at Bob Campbell Oval, said she was very excited about the new masterplan after getting a chance to discuss concerns with the landscape architects as a participant on council’s community consultation panel.

“I think it’s a great opportunity to get a good field that’s properly designed,” Ms Sharp said.

“It’s a real science, the whole thing of designing a playing field, and it has to be done by the right person and we’re absolutely concerned that we need to get the right people to design the pitch for us … that’s my biggest concern about the plan. The rest of it is really good – we’ve had a fantastic community consultation.

“It’s going to be really good for everybody, but we just really need to make sure they go down the right path with the soil science.”

The final masterplan for Bob Campbell Oval is open for public comment on the Lane Cove Council website until February 5, 2023.