Loreto Normanhurst: IPC to determine $130m school upgrade

Ten new and extended buildings are part of a major redevelopment plan to bring an historic school into the 21st century. But not everyone is happy with the proposal.

A $130 million proposal to revolutionise the historic Loreto Normanhurst school is set to see an extra 850 students added to the campus in coming years.

Ten new and extended buildings, new drop-off zones and ‘wellness’ rooms for students are the among features of new development plans to bring the 1897 school well into the 21st century.

The project has been in the works since 2017 and would almost double the student headcount from 1150 to 2000, plans lodged to the Independent Planning Commission this week show.

A concept plan of the development.

The first stages of the project would involve the demolition of existing buildings, removal of 105 trees and construction of a five storey boarding accommodation building for 216 students featuring lounge, wellness and dining rooms.

There would also be two single storey carparks with rooftop playing courts.

Other features of the project including five pick-up and drop-off zones, a through-site road, bicycle parking, landscaping works and 236 carparks.

Loreto said the development was aimed at improving student and teaching facilities, and would provide capacity to support the region’s population growth.

The plans will be determined by the Independent Planning Commission.

“The development and upgrade of the school to meet contemporary and evolving learning and educational standards, and the expectations of the school community,” the plans stated.

Among the sections of the school that would have to be demolished for the works include the Mount Pleasant multipurpose basketball courts, two tennis courts fronting Pennant Hills Rd and Loreto Community House.

The redevelopment would boost the school’s capacity to 2000 including 450 primary students and 1550 in secondary year levels.

The school headcount will almost double under the proposal.

Early feedback on the plans had been mixed with objectors raising concerns over heritage impacts, loss of trees and “excessive” building heights.

Traffic impacts were a primary sticking point with a submission from Brian Swanepoel – managing director of the nearby Adventist Aged Care facility – flagging concerns over congestion on the busy Mount Pleasant Ave and Pennant Hills Rd intersection, while other residents raised alarm bells on the impacts on Osborn Rd, running alongside the school’s western boundary.

“The increase in student numbers from 1150 to 2000 would lead to additional stress on what is already an unsustainable amount of traffic on Osborn Rd,” resident Christina Geary said in her submission.

An overview of the development.

In response to the feedback, the school has modified plans to increase a buffer zone between the development zone and surrounding homes and increased the number of on-site carparks by 120.

The school would also have a ‘Loreto Bus’ – expected to be used by 15 per cent of the student population – as part of it splan to encourage students to catch public transport.

If approved, the development is expected to generate 555 construction jobs and 71 jobs once completed.

Development works would be split over four stages, beginning in December this year, and continue until March 2024.

The Department of Planning, in an initial assessment, said the road network could accommodate the first stage of the development subject to conditions including the completion of all internal pick-up and drop-off zones before the first increase in students.

“Future development applications would need to address the anticipated traffic and parking

impacts of future development stages with proposed increases in student population,” the department added.

The Department of Planning referred the plans to the Independent Planning Commission on Thursday which will consider the proposal before making a determination.