Kensington $100m tower: Anson Group lodge Anzac Parade plans

A mega $100m development proposed for Kensington has divided opinion, with some business owners welcoming investment in the “struggling” area and others afraid its infrastructure can’t cope. See the plans.

A major housing development proposed in Sydney’s east has divided opinion about the changing landscape of the area, with some welcoming the investment and others slamming plans that threaten to “destroy” the area’s character.

Developer Anson Group has lodged an application with Randwick Council for a $100 million development in Kensington.

The project would merge and demolish 11 individual sites to make way for four residential towers ranging from four to nine storeys off Anzac Pde, with some facing Boronia St.

If the major development is approved, it would include a shop top housingt tower with two basement levels for 245 parking spaces, ground level retail premises with a supermarket and communal open spaces.

The proposal comes as Randwick Council recently unveiled plans to create extra housing at five locations across the local government area, through changes to planning controls, to meet state government development goals.

Anson Group has proposed a $100m development in Kensington

Those precincts are proposed for North Kensington, Randwick and Kingsford South, and would potentially allow for an extra 574 new homes with buildings standing up to eight storeys high.

Randwick Council mayor Dylan Parker said he shared community concerns about overpopulation in the area.

The development would include a top-shop block with retail space and supermarket

“Unfortunately mega developments such as this are the direct result of top-down planning impositions on local communities and councils where they are forced to meet state government planning impositions,” he said.

“This is just a further reflection that planning powers have, for all intents and purposes, been taken off our hands.

Mr Parker said council’s proposed changes to planning rules were needed to meet the NSW Government’s mandated target of about 4464 new homes in six to 10 years – goals the council vehemently objected but were ultimately powerless over.

Residents recently took to social media to share concerns about overdevelopment in Kensington, with one person commenting on the Southern Courier Facebook page that the development pressure imposed by the state government were a disgrace.

It’s the latest mega development proposed in the area

Residents are divided about the increase in high density housing proposals

“They have destroyed Kingsford, with more shops closed and up for sale to developers,” they wrote. “Meanwhile, they have decimated the bus public transport system, not taking into account high density population.”

Another person commented that the infrastructure of Kensington and Kingsford could not cope with cfor higher density housing.

But others disagreed. When Phil Powney, manager of Jack’s Cafe in Kensington, asked about the increasing development in the area he said “bring it on”.

“Businesses at the moment are struggling because there is nothing new here, just an old battered down strip of shops, so anything new is invited,” he said.

Phil Powney (r) managers Jack's cafe and welcomes any investment in Kensington

“It definitely needs more retail and more residential buildings as opposed to the old stuff. There are so many buildings that have been vacant since Covid so we could do with more life breathed into the area.”

Public consultation for the comprehensive planning proposal to amend Randwick Council’s Local Environmental Plan (LEP) closed last month.

The council is in the final stages of decision making and plans to send a final version to the NSW department of planning in the coming weeks, Mr Parker confirmed.

The minimum lot size for dual occupancy would also be slashed significantly if the council’s revised LEP goes ahead.

The Anson Group, whose plans have been submitted to Randwick Council and will ultimately be decided by the NSW Planning and Environment Department, has been contacted for comment.