Uniting Church scales back Rose Bay church redevelopment

Controversial plans to redevelop a church that has stood in Rose Bay for more than 100 years have been significantly scaled back after being rejected by a planning panel last year.

Redevelopment plans for the Rose Bay Uniting Church have been significantly wound back.

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A proposal to knock down large parts of a church that has stood in Rose Bay for more than 100 years for a retail and residential development has been scaled back after being rejected last year.

The Uniting Church is set to lodge an amended development application to Woollahra Council, which would retain the 1902 frontage of the Rose Bay Uniting Church and leave the majority of the 1924 hall largely untouched.

Wesley Hall, at the rear of the site on the corner of Old South Head and Dover roads, would be raised and a four-storey unit block comprising six apartments and ground floor retail space built in its place.

An artist's impression of an amended development application for the Rose Bay Uniting Church on corner of Old South Head Rd and Dover Rd. Picture: Supplied

Initial plans lodged in April 2018, which were rejected by the Woollahra Local Planning Panel in July, would have resulted in the 1924 hall’s roof being removed to fit in 10 apartments and retail spaces across a 1541sq m site.

The developable site would be nearly halved to 941sq m under the amended plans. The number of underground carparking spaces would also be cut from 23 to 14.

Andrew Gibbons, the managing director of Endeavour Property, who is leading the proposal on behalf of the applicants said he believed the new proposal “strikes the right balance” between a viable outcome for the church and the community.

The proposed development as seen from Dover Rd. Picture: Supplied

“The church has been very open to reconsidering its position in the best interests of both the community and their own requirements to fund their broader mission,” Mr Gibbons said

“On their behalf we have been able to collaborate with the Woollahra Council on what we believe is a very mutually beneficial proposal.

“It has been a substantial change and, in our view, demonstrates a genuine willingness to get a satisfactory result for all.

Last Rose Bay Uniting Church service August 26, 2007.

Rose Bay Residents Association vice president Bruce Bland was positive about the amended plans but said there was still some unease in the community, who would rather the church was left untouched.

“My personal perspective is that they have made a reasonable compromise and we should live with that,” Mr Bland said.

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“My view was if it was flogged off to some developer … we’d lose the lot.

“The church was going to retain some of the activities. I think if they just sell the site … we will eventually get a worse outcome.”

Mr Bland said Wesley Hall had “no redeemable architectural features”.