Northwood: Lane Cove Council determines six level knockdown rebuild at Cliff Rd

The owner of a historic mansion destroyed in a suspected arson attack has a contentious redevelopment of his neighbouring home approved on a list of more than 60 conditions.

The owner of a historic mansion destroyed in a suspected arson attack has had a contentious redevelopment of his neighbouring property approved after sparking opposition from neighbours.

Lane Cove Council’s planning panel has given the green light to a $4.8 million knockdown rebuild of 60 Cliff Rd, Northwood following a site visit to the property last week.

The six-level development, lodged by ‘Owen’ Ouyang Chen and his wife Xiao Hong Li, includes nine bedrooms, a game room, outdoor entertainment areas, a swimming pool, spa and a bar.

The proposal was originally knocked back by Lane Cove Council due to “unacceptable impacts” on the heritage home at 62 Cliff Rd, Northwood – which is also owned by Mr Chen – as well a 3.4m breach of the site’s 9.5m height limit.

The panel, in refusing the project in October, deemed it “not in the public interest” and labelled it “excessive and out of character with surrounding single storey houses”.

A concept plan of the development at 60 Cliff Rd.

Owen Chen has lodged the plans for 60 Cliff Rd to Lane Cove Council.

The planning panel – at its meeting last week – found revisions to the proposal including a reduction in the overall height of the home had “effectively addressed the grounds for the original refusal”.

The development was approved on 67 conditions including a requirement for the development to be reduced by a further 30cm in height to address privacy impacts and the amenity of neighbours.

The home at 62 Cliff Rd was destroyed by fire earlier this month.

A photo of the fire.

The panel, in its decision, said: “The applicant’s willingness to make some amendments in response to the submitters is acknowledged.”

The meeting comes after the heritage-listed mansion at 62 Cliff Rd, designed by prominent Australian artist Lloyd Rees, was destroyed in a blaze on September 3.

NSW Police has confirmed an accelerant was used to start the fire but are still looking for a person captured on CCTV entering the property just before midnight then running from it as the fire took hold.

Police said Mr Chen was assisting with their investigation, and there was no suggestion he had anything to do with the fire.

A concept plan of the development.

A photo of the current home at 60 Cliff Rd in Northwood

A Lane Cove Council spokeswoman said the fire had not impacted how the development at 60 Cliff Rd was assessed.

Several residents who opposed the development attended the site meeting last week to make their final cases for the redevelopment to be rejected, including neighbour Bill McLaughlin.

“I can’t say we’re happy (with the council’s decision to recommend the project’s approval) but accept the fact there have been changes to the plans,” he said.

“The height proposed in the original plans were wrong and they have been addressed to an extent we can live with. I would have liked to have seen it lower.

A concept plan of the development, which includes a pool and pool deck.

The existing home would be demolished as part of the proposal.

“We always expected there would be a new building at the site. it’s just a case of making it right.”

The planning panel report stated: “On balance the proposed development would be reasonable and therefore is recommended for approval.”

The council’s planning panel is made up of 17 independent members with professional backgrounds in architecture and urban design.

The North Shore Times contacted Mr Chen for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.