Carlingford: Council endorses Meriton units at 263-281 Pennant Hills Rd

Years of community resistance against a giant 29-storey apartment complex in Sydney’s northwest has eventually led to its approval. Here’s why councillors reluctantly supported the Meriton plan.

A Meriton development with 336 apartments is slated for Carlingford.

A council has endorsed a giant Meriton residential and retail development so the public does not miss out on $27.5m worth of infrastructure from developers behind the Carlingford proposal on one of Sydney’s busiest roads.

Parramatta Council endorsed the plan for 336 apartments, a childcare centre for 75 children, 1906sq m of 18 neighbourhood retail shops, Central Park, a library and a 548-spot basement carpark at 263-281 Pennant Hills Rd and will send it to the Planning Minister for final approval, despite construction already beginning.

The endorsement follows years of rejection from the council, state government planning panels and the public which entered 127 of 132 submissions during the feedback period when chief concerns over traffic congestion, density and lack of schools were underlined.

However, the proposal was the subject of an appeal in the Land and Environment Court in June when the court granted consent for the construction of five buildings between six and 18 storeys.

Meriton lobbed an extra 197 units on the plan and the tallest of the buildings will reach 29 storeys over 110m.

At the Monday council meeting, Meriton planning and government executive manager Matthew Lennartz said the site had always been always been zoned for high density and it had worked with the council to address concerns such as more parking for residents.

“It will include public amenities such as a community hub and reconfigured open space, providing better outcomes and leveraging its strategic location as the largest landholding in the Carlingford precinct with excellent transport connections including the soon-to-be-opened Parramatta light rail,’’ he said.

Building C will reach 29 storeys.

Mr Lennartz said the proposal also helped deliver the state’s critical need for more housing.

Greens councillor Phil Bradley objected to the “dramatic” increase in building heights which was set at nine storeys for Pennant Hills Rd.

He said the council was already exceeding its housing targets to provide new dwellings.

“I accept we do have the need for much more housing – especially affordable housing – but this proposal provides no affordable housing,’’ he said.

“It is a very dense development, it will create a lot of traffic problems in the area as if there aren’t enough in that intersection already.’’

Parramatta Council identifies Carlingford as a growth centre.

But independent councillor Georgina Valjak “reluctantly agreed” with the council staff’s recommendation to endorse the development otherwise the $27.5m voluntary planning agreement (developer contributions) that came with the extra 197 units would not be delivered.

The contributions will go towards a library, a community hub, a park and community link from Pennant Hills Rd to Shirley St, and traffic lights at Evans Rd, Pennant Hills Rd and Lloyds Ave.

“Without this VPA Carlingford residents will miss out on much needed infrastructure,’ she said.

She recounted how the community lost “tens of millions of dollars’’ in developer contributions at a Meriton Macquarie Park development in 2019 because Ryde Council opposed the 45-storey residential towers, which still opened despite opposition.

“The community were the losers,’’ she said.

“Now that happened prior to the current housing crisis we’re experiencing so I don’t need to spell out what potentially could happen here.

“The question is, is this chamber willing to risk $27.5m worth of community benefit and the traffic lights?

“I also note some community feedback that the proposed VPA is not a big deal.

“However I can assure the community the benefit is substantial.’’