Bellevue Hill: Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam joins neighbours objecting to seniors plans

A media high flyer is among a raft of Sydney society’s elite who have slammed plans for a harbourside seniors housing complex on one of the eastern suburbs’ richest streets.

53-55 Drumalbyn St. Bellevue Hill. Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam has joined neighbours objecting to a waterfront seniors development.

A media high flyer is among a raft of Sydney society’s elite who have slammed plans for a harbourside seniors housing complex on one of the eastern suburbs’ richest streets.

Network Seven commercial director Bruce McWilliam, along with the wife of a federal court judge, finance director Nick Ridgewell, Woollahra councillor Lucinda Regan and doctors Morris and Pauline Rapaport are among those who have shared their displeasure with the plans.

Developer RnB Property Group Pty Ltd lodged plans for a $12.9m seniors housing development at 53-55 Drumalbyn Rd, Bellevue Hill with Woollahra Council in 2021, with the project approved in January.

The project recently returned to Woollahra Council after an application for an additional unit, further excavation and other amendments were lodged which again raised the ire of neighbours.

A photomontage of the development application lodged for 53-55 Drumalbyn Rd. Picture: Bureau SRH Architects.

The proposal, which initially planned to demolish buildings on the block to build an 11-unit seniors’ housing development, was later amended to repurpose the existing properties into six units with underground carparking.

The existing properties at 53-55 Drumalbyn Rd were partially preserved after the council placed an interim heritage order on them, with the amended plans approved by the NSW Land and Environment Court in January.

But residents on the millionaires row – where the average home lists for upwards of $8m – have slammed the proposal as “a joke” and questioned the thinking behind putting seniors housing “on the side of a cliff”.

Letters objecting to the plans named excessive excavation to build substantial underground parking, the security of the heritage-listed buildings and loss of harbour views among their concerns.

View of Sydney Harbour from Bellevue Hill.

Mr McWilliam snapped up a doer-upper at 97 Beresford Road, Bellevue Hill, in 2020.

One concerned resident, who asked not to be named, said beyond the size and bulk of the proposed development they were of the view the development was unsuitable for the senior buyers it would target.

“It really is a joke to say it’s for 55s [and over] and you have to be a mountain goat to negotiate the stairs,” the resident said.

The resident said extreme building works at a heritage site meant, in their opinion, there was “no way” the heritage facade would survive the excavation.

Residents First councillor Lucinda Regan is among the objectors.

Another resident, who asked to remain anonymous, said the project was an example of developers pushing to expand the scope of projects following state government approval.

The proposal to add an extra unit and modify the property was refused by the Woollahra Local Planning Panel because it was deemed not to be substantially the same as the approved development.

Woollahra councillor Lucinda Regan said residents were incredibly concerned the project would put their properties and the heritage-listed properties on the development at risk.

Representatives for RnB Property Group were unable to be contacted for comment.