Gladesville town centre masterplan: Locals unhappy at scale

Contentious plans for a massive redevelopment of a suburb’s town centre have been met with anger by hundreds of residents. Have your say on the proposal in our poll:

There are concerns one suburb is being asked to do the “heavy lifting” for a neighbouring more salubrious suburb under plans to increase town centre building heights to up to 19 storeys.

Hunters Hill Council has gone back to the drawing board on its long-running Gladesville Masterplan project after receiving 1800 responses and letters of feedback from residents.

The masterplan centres on four blocks of land on the eastern side of Victoria Rd and earmarks buildings between 15-19 storeys tall – almost double the current 10 storey limit – with an estimated target for 370 new units.

A concept plan of one of the design options for Block 4.

The sites included a main amalgamated block taking in the Gladesville Shopping Centre along with 217, 219, 223-227 Victoria Rd. Three other blocks of land directly north and south are also considered.

The council said the masterplan was aimed at addressing the “poor presentation” of the current shopping strip and could support local “trading performance” and the “renewal of properties”.

Plans for the main amalgamated site, also known as Block 4, involve redeveloping the current Coles outlet and council car park to make way for a new shopping complex standing up to 19 storeys tall anchored by a new supermarket, retail shops and units.

An overview of the masterplan.

The plan would allow buildings up to 19 storeys tall.

A report detailed responses from residents which showed many were in support of new public spaces such as meeting areas and piazzas, hospitality offerings, access to public transport and affordable housing.

But many said they didn’t want increased building heights with some saying it could “dominate the skyline and destroy the character of the area”

Other concerns included the pressure on existing services and schools, traffic impacts from 570 cars tipped to be generated from the Block 4 development, and the inclusion of a heritage cottage at 10 Cowell St into the Block 4 site which is earmarked for “removal and/or relocation” as part of the masterplan.

One resident said the community could manage 14 storeys at a stretch, declaring: “We are not St Leonards or Chatswood”.

Richard Li said Gladesville was being asked to “take the development burden of Hunters Hill”.

Russell Young, a business owner on Victoria Rd, told News Local the high rise plans fell short of community expectations.

“Revitalisation would be a good thing, but just saying we’re going to have more development doesn’t make it better – it can actually become worse if you manage it badly,” he said.

“It needs to be done with skilful planning, not just cheap and nasty units for profit.”

An artist’s impression of the revamp.

Not all feedback was opposed, with Coles saying it “welcomed the opportunity for a new supermarket” and some landholders even wanted the masterplan extended further on to surrounding blocks.

Ryde Council, which borders Hunters Hill on the western side of the shopping strip, didn’t object to plans for the Block 1-3 sites but said the building heights at Block 4 would be “unprecedented” and believed floor space should be redistributed to lower floors.

In response to the feedback, Hunters Hill Council has recommended further work be undertaken for consideration in early 2022.

The masterplan incorporates the current Gladesville shopping centre.

It recognised “that while there is a general acceptance that the centre needs renewal it is the form of the renewal that appears contested by members of the community”.

A recommendation to the next council meeting said lower height options will be investigated as part of future designs.

“Given the interest by the community in the development of the Gladesville Masterplan it will be important to consult and involve the community as the project progresses,” it added.

The council has also responded to concerns over the loss of the public parking in the town centre, saying the current number of car spaces would need to be incorporated into any new development.

Councillors will consider the recommendation at a meeting on Monday.