Developer lodges development application for The Esplanade, sparking rebuke from Hills mayor Michelle Byrne

THEY are the two towers set to soar above Norwest Lakes that have sparked the ire of Hills mayor Michelle Byrne.

Mayor critical of Esplanade DA

THEY are the two towers set to soar above Norwest Lakes that have sparked the ire of Hills mayor Michelle Byrne.

According to a development application lodged with the council, 267 units would sit atop three levels of office space and ground level restaurants and shops.

The 19-storey and 20-storey residential buildings, to be built on land owned by Hillsong Church, would replace the Sydney Ice Arena on Solent Circuit, Baulkham Hills.

Hills councillors in 2014 endorsed the planning proposal to increase the building height and allow mixed use development on the site.

But now the DA has been lodged, Cr Byrne said some of the units were too small and not enough car parks had been provided.

“It’s all very well to give the assurances, platitudes and make the right noises to get council to sign off the rezoning but it’s not OK to then ignore council’s policy having achieved that,” she said.

“It is yet another example where an applicant promises the world but the planning system that council must comply with is inadequate to ensure that we hold them to account after rezoning and we are getting tired of it.”

Capital Corporation managing director Steven Grant said the apartments would be significantly larger than the state government’s SEPP 65 requirements for minimum unit sizes.

“While SEPP 65 does allow for smaller apartments, we have purposefully provided a diverse mix of larger apartments to meet the market demand in the Hills district,” he said.

About 650 car parking spaces and residents-only facilities such a rooftop cinema, outdoor gym, putting green and barbecue areas are proposed as part of the development.

“The development aims to become a new social and commercial hub for the wider locality,” documents lodged with council said.

“It creates a new waterfront precinct with a series of public routes and spaces at ground level, combing retail and dining facilities.”

The 1.2ha site is about 260m from the under construction Norwest metro station and is part of a future mixed use area identified by the council.

As the development cost is more than $20m, the application will be determined by the Joint Regional Planning Panel, not the council.

More development to come

The Esplanade is not the only mixed use development planned for Solent Circuit. Last year Mulpha, which owns Norwest Business Park, acquired Norwest Marketown shopping centre in a $120m deal, with plans to redevelop the site into a mixed-use residential, retail and leisure precinct. On the opposite side of Solent Circuit, is Norwest Town Centre Residential Precinct — a development consisting of two-storey town houses.