Inner West Bulls club ground faces demolition under Billbergia apartment plan

A plan to demolish a long-running basketball club to make way for a new multistorey unit complex has sparked backlash from athletes and residents in Sydney’s northern suburbs.

A photo of club basketballers during a game with the Coffs Harbour Suns. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Up and coming Sydney basketballers are facing an uncertain future after plans were released to demolish a long-running basketball club to make way for a new unit development.

Developer group Billbergia has released a $9.7m proposal to bulldoze the Inner West Bulls Basketball Club’s home ground t Ryde to make way for a six-storey mixed use development.

The Inner West Bulls is one of the leading basketball clubs in the northern Sydney region and caters for beginners through to senior players.

The proposed development would involve the demolition of the sports hall on Eagle St which is owned by Billbergia and has been leased by the Bulls for about 15 years.

Plans show the new unit development would include 10 apartments, 20 basement carparking spaces, a ground commercial tenancy, and communal open spaces including a swimming pool.

A concept plan of the development.

Inner West Bulls president Michelle McDowell said the development would leave the club without a permanent home.

“It’s catastrophic for us and it’s put us in a really difficult situation and one we had no notice of,” she said. “In the inner city there’s a shortage of available court space and no other permanent facility we can relocate to.

A photo of the club building.

An architectural plan of the development.

“We’ll be in a situation where we’ll have to get out and hustle to find facilities to play at and likely have to go to schools and lease courts which becomes expensive because some are $95 an hour to hire

“The club has been there for about 15 years and to take our home away is really tough.”

The development is also facing resistance from residents who have written to Ryde Council calling for the project to be rejected.

“We need this indoor basketball court – there are hardly any in Sydney and this court has been used for community sport for generations,” Jemma Rollo wrote in a submission. “Please do not develop (the site) or if you do ensure there is a community indoor basketball court as part of the build.”

The bulls has been operating at the site for about 15 years.

A concept plan of the unit development.

Billbergia was contacted for comment about the development but did not respond at the time of publication.

In its plans, the company states the development would “provide additional housing opportunities to meet the demands of the growing Sydney population”.

“The proposed development is an appropriate response to the density and employment opportunities envisaged for the Ryde enterprise corridor area,” it states. “The mixed used development will facilitate additional population growth as well as providing a commercial element to the project to provide business, office or retail uses into the locality.

“The proposal comprises three-bedroom apartments which will cater to larger families and diverse households, reflecting the needs of this specific community.”

Plans show the development would stand 15.95m – 0.45m over the current 15.5m limit.

Five trees would be removed to make way for the development, offset by new landscaping works with 19 trees.

The proposal has been lodged to Ryde Council and remains under assessment.