Leura residents ask Commissioner to reconsider ‘monstrosity’

Residents opposed to a multistorey apartment block in their village have called for a reconsideration of the plan during a site inspection by an Environment Commissioner.

Residents fear a proposed residential apartment building will ruin the unique heritage character of their village. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

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Residents opposed to a 24-unit residential apartment building in Leura have called for a reconsideration of the plan during a site inspection by the NSW Land and Environment Court Commissioner.

On Tuesday, George Samuel told Commissioner Danielle Dickson that Blue Mountains Council should turn the vacant block at 43-51 Great Western Highway into a much-needed car park while fellow resident Jean Porter said the developer — HD Squared Developments Pty Ltd — should build a community park there instead.

The main sticking point for residents was the fear of having the village character of Leura ruined by a modern building design which residents described as “far too high”, “monolithic”, “ugly”, “obtrusive” and likely to “wreck the tourist trade.”

Pictured is a view of the Great Western Highway from HD Squared Developments’ proposed residential apartment building, as seen in a drawing by The Architecture Company.

A view of the Spires serviced hotel apartments at Leura, as seen from the site of the proposed residential apartment building during today’s site visit. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

“Tourists are not taking pictures of stark urban developments,” National Trust Blue Mountains branch committee member, Rhona Leach, said.

Commissioner Dickson listened to residents’ concerns during the conciliation conference which was followed by a closed meeting at the council.

HD Squared Developments Pty Ltd lodged a Class 1 appeal with the Land and Environment Court in June 2018 over the deemed refusal of its original development application by Blue Mountains Council.

NSW Land and Environment Commissioner, Danielle Dickson. Picture: Troy Snook

It is asking the court to consider a revised plan. A major difference from the original plans is instead of three separate buildings, a single three-storey building is proposed.

“The building is designed to present as a mountain style of architecture based on a traditional guesthouse of the Leura township,” according to an amended statement of environmental effects lodged by Urban Perspectives on behalf of the developer.

But Ms Porter, who lives at Churchill St, said: “This is the third time we’ve been asked to approve this monstrosity”.

She told the commissioner the building’s proposed location off the highway would make parking for the apartment-dwellers and access for waste truck drivers “impossible.”

The access road to the proposed residential apartment building site. Picture: Isabell Petrinic

Wentworth St resident Gary Boyle worried about possible negative impacts on Govetts Creek.

He said the creek is only now starting to regenerate after silt was washed down the slope into Highland St and then the creek during the highway upgrade.

The matter will go to the Land and Environment Court building in Sydney next week.