Fresh plans for apartments at 2a Gregory Place, Harris Park, released

The developer behind a contentious plan to build hundreds of apartments, flanking colonial landmarks in western Sydney, has slashed the number of dwellings following mounting community backlash.

Concept designs for 2a Gregory Place. in Harris Park.

Downsized plans for a contentious western Sydney housing complex have been revealed, with 163 dwellings cut from the proposal, but community leaders say the fight to preserve the heritage value of nearby colonial landmarks continues.

Raadcorp and Pacific Community Housing have slashed the number of homes slated for 2a Gregory Place, in Harris Park, from 483 to 320 terraces and apartments.

The site’s owners have also agreed to reduce the heights of buildings, initially slated to be as tall as eight storeys, in parts of the $147m complex.

The new plan includes shorter towers near where the site, adjacent to Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral, connects with Hambledon Cottage and Experiment Farm Reserve.

The changes follow community unrest and fears the massive complex would threaten the heritage value of those colonial-era sites and another, Elizabeth Farm.

The developers’ new website describes the land where the abandoned Whitehall Pharmaceuticals factory once stood as a “unique blend of community, faith and history”, sitting along prized historical assets.

The development neighbours Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral.

Changes, including increased setbacks from the landmarks to the development, were made after “constructive feedback from the community”.

“Those views have been instrumental in shaping an updated concept plan which we are sharing with the community ahead of submission to the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure,’’ the website states.

Shorter building heights are now planned.

“The new concept plan prioritises connecting community, faith and history.”

Along with shorter apartment blocks and fewer dwellings, a corridor with an unobstructed view from Hambledon Cottage to Our Lady of Lebanon Co-Cathedral will be introduced.

Parramatta federal Labor MP Andrew Charlton cautiously welcomed the changes but continued to hold concerns the development would threaten the heritage value of Elizabeth Farm, Hambledon Cottage and Experiment Farm.

“These positive changes reflect the community campaign that we have been working on,’’ he said.

“However, I remain concerned about the impact of the development on the historic properties around the site and the impact on traffic and amenity.’’

The proposed development’s proximity to historical buildings has generated backlash.

Mr Charlton, who has pushed for the trio to gain national heritage listing, said the revised development was “not the end of our fight to save the priceless heritage in this area”.

Last week, Mr Charlton said securing national heritage listing would be a “big factor” in determining the ultimate use of the Gregory Place site and it “would be an important reason not to put a large development right in the middle” of what should be recognised as a heritage precinct.

The national heritage campaign is showing promise after the three were added to the Commonwealth priority assessment list, with the Australian Heritage Council to assess the application.

Parramatta heritage advocate Suzette Meade urged the NSW Planning Minister to pay attention to the federal government's work on recognising the sites, “otherwise state planning decisions will be made in isolation and we will risk compromising our nation’s heritage”.

“It would be an understatement to say I have little faith in NSW planning system after the destruction of so much heritage in Parramatta over the past decade,’’ she said.

“This precinct’s significance to Australia has been advocated for since the 1980s, when federal Member for Parramatta John Brown spoke in Canberra of the tourism industry potential in heritage and cultural sites in Parramatta.’’

The original plans for the site, in 2016, proposed towers ranging from four to 35 storeys.

Online information sessions for the community will be held on December 16, 17 and 19. Register here.

Originally published as Fresh plans for apartments at 2a Gregory Place, Harris Park, released