Plan to build six-storey apartments at Ashbury to redefine skyline

MORE than 30,000sq m of land on the former Chubb and Tyres 4U sites could soon be rezoned to house high-rise under a planning proposal that residents say would “dominate the skyline” of Ashbury.

A plan to allow six-storey buildings on 30,000 sqm of land at Milton St, Ashbury, is now on public exhibition.

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MORE than 30,000sq m of land could soon be rezoned to house high-rise under a planning proposal that residents say would “dominate the skyline” of Ashbury.

Canterbury-Bankstown Council is seeking to rezone the former Chubb and Tyres 4U sites at 149-171 Milton St, submitting a planning proposal to rezone the land from IN2 light industrial to R4 high density residential next to Australian rules football ground Wagener Oval.

Originally meant to be 11 storeys, the council refused this proposal in September last year and subsequently prepared its own proposal for a scaled-back six storeys.

It has just been given the tick of approval from the State Government and is currently on exhibition for public feedback.

A large block of land next to Wagener Oval at Ashbury has been earmarked for high-rise development.

Ashbury residents are concerned any future apartments would stick out like a sore thumb in their inter-war bungalow streetscape.

Matt Burke is a member of Ashbury Community Group which has been campaigning to maintain the character of the low-density suburb.

He said that despite the revised proposal taking on board some of their concerns, the community still had “mixed feelings” about the plans which people believed could accommodate up to 460 units.

“Little boxes in the sky are not ... what people want in this area,” Mr Burke said.

“This is a quiet family area and way too far away from business, entertainment and transport hubs to justify high density.”

Ashbury Community Group member Matt Burke says residents do not want “little boxes in the sky”.

The group is also concerned the R4 rezoning would open the site to further increases in height and density at later stages and, in reality, developments would be eight storeys when basement parking and a plant room were factored in.

Mayor Khal Asfour strongly opposes overdevelopment, but said there must be a compromise.

“This is a large old industrial site which hasn’t been used for some time and is unsightly,” Cr Asfour said.

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“But, in looking to make it a more usable space, we must not allow for overdevelopment like what was allowed to occur along nearby Canterbury Rd.”

The council has extended the community feedback period to three months; it will now close on February 16.

Two community drop-in sessions will also be held: the next is at the Ashbury Senior Citizens Centre from 5-7pm on February 9.

View the proposal at: haveyoursay.cbcity.nsw.gov.au