Wentworthville Mall sold, Town Centre plan approved
The sale of a shopping mall will signal plans for 1800 extra dwellings in a western Sydney suburb but the transformation is fuelling fears its village-like character will be gone for good.
Parramatta
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Wenty’s forecast growth spurt is about to kick in but criticisms of it being out of character with the suburb’s village feel persist.
The recent sale of the deteriorating Wentworthville Mall and Cumberland Council’s endorsement of the Wentworthville Town Centre Planning Proposal last week have given the green light to a public plaza, bypass and a redeveloped library.
The suburb could also house a major health service to support the neighbouring Westmead health precinct.
Austino Group sold the ailing Wentworthville Mall to property developer Poly Australia, which has plans to build 480 apartments, restaurants and a full-line supermarket at Dunmore St.
Mall traders such as Donna’s Flower Shop owner John Lynch had not officially been notified about the sale but expect to remain open until June.
The mall site’s “landmark” apartment development could include two towers housing apartments around the shopping mall, which has declined steeply since the closure of the IGA supermarket in 2017.
Last week, the council approved plans that will see Wentworthville transform from a village centre to one with 2500 dwellings, or 1800 extra units, over the next 20 years.
Changes include pedestrian plazas with public art, outdoor dining and trees, linking Dunmore St and the train station, and Station St to Lane St.
Most apartment blocks will be eight storeys but one of the tallest will be an 18-storey tower on the corner of The Kingsway and Station St.
Councillor Lisa Lake’s motion to reduce its height from 53m to 41m for the tower was unsuccessful.
“We don’t need a further high-rise tower in Wentworthville to promote growth,’’ she said.
“I’ll acknowledge the town centre stagnated badly while property owners wait for this planning proposal to be finalised but Wentworthville itself is not a suburb struggling to generate growth.
She cited units at Garfield St, Essington and Veron streets as examples of that under the existing Local Environmental Plan.
She said the 18-storey block was out of character with the area and heritage buildings such as Wentworthville Public School and St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church.
“Another high-rise development would result in further detrimental visual impact on the historic character of this neighbourhood which still does have a village dimension to it,” she said.
“The building doesn’t reflect community aspirations for the area.”
She also questioned the block being called a “visual marker” for the train station.
“That makes us laugh because Wentworthville station has been there since 1883, we all know where it is. A signpost, we think, would be sufficient.”
Another tower proposed for the corner of The Kingsway and the Cumberland Highway was unnecessary, she said.
However, Cr Lake’s opposition to a recommendation of an 11-storey, 90-unit block planned for the corner of Station St and Pritchard St East was successful after citing overshadowing concerns.
Wentworthville Town Centre Planning Proposal, which were first put before the former Holroyd Council in 2013, will now go to the Planning Department for approval.