The street-level reason these 100 sky-high Sydney units are under threat

A developer’s plans to leverage the Minns government’s affordable housing bonus to add height and density to an apartment complex in north-west Sydney have raised the ire of the local council, which argues building an extra 100 units would worsen traffic congestion in the busy area.

The NSW Independent Planning Commission last year approved Beecroft Planning Developments’ proposal for a mixed-use, “state significant” development comprising 374 apartments and commercial space in buildings up to 15 storeys on Beecroft Road at Epping, near the railway station.

The updated plans add dozens more apartments to an earlier proposal. That plan has been approved, but construction has not started.

In March, the developer submitted revised plans seeking to add 101 apartments using the state government’s incentives that give developers extra height and floor space for affordable homes.

The scheme provides developers bonuses of up to 30 per cent on height and floor space ratios if a plan dedicates at least 10 to 15 per cent of building space to affordable housing – that is, homes typically offered at 20-25 per cent below the market rate for 15 years, often managed by non-profits.

In a scoping report, Think Planners said the developer was proposing that 15 per cent of the overall gross floor space would be affordable housing “to potentially allow us to exceed the mapped floor space ratio and height by up to 30 per cent”.

This increased percentage of affordable housing would include 19 dwellings that formed 5 per cent of the development, which had already gained approval.

The report said the added density would provide “additional affordable residential accommodation within the Epping town centre”, and that lodging a new development application would “delay the construction of the approved complex that seeks to deliver [hundreds of] much-needed apartments”.

The City of Parramatta is opposing the revisions based on concerns about congestion and “excessive” residential parking. In a submission to the Department of Housing, Planning and Infrastructure in October, the council said the amended plans were a “substantial increase in residential gross floor area, building heights and number of residential units”.

The council argued the changes would worsen the already high levels of congestion at the intersections of Carlingford and Beecroft roads, and Rawson Street, Ray Road and Carlingford Road.

“As the site is now proposing 105 more parking spaces than what was previously approved, the use of private vehicles will become a more attractive mode share and counter efforts to promote sustainable transport options. This will result in a higher trip generation rate.

“The excessive parking proposed by the applicant cannot be supported as this will have an adverse impact on traffic within the surrounding area,” the council said.

A traffic impact assessment prepared by JMT Consulting said the developer’s provision of 474 residential car spaces – up from about 366 spaces – was acceptable because most residents would use their cars on a “discretionary basis” and undertake trips outside busy periods on the roads.

The department has requested the developer provide a response to submissions.

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