Urban design consultant Leigh Woolley has a new brief from the Hobart City Council

URBAN design consultant Leigh Woolley could now consider a maximum building height limit for parts of Hobart, with the council expected to hear his recommendation for the city-defining decision within six months.

Tasmanian architect and urban design consultant Leigh Woolley shared his thoughts and research into planning and development within Hobart at a public meeting in the Conference Centre of the Hobart Town Hall. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

URBAN design consultant Leigh Woolley could now consider a maximum building height limit for parts of Hobart, with the council expected to hear his recommendation for the city-defining decision within six months.

Mr Woolley was previously commissioned by the council to look at key townscape and streetscape values to be considered when a proposed development does not meet acceptable height limits.

In June, he produced a report that said future building projects in Hobart’s city centre should be restricted to 75m in height, and should not block views of Mount Wellington.

This report, combined with a community push to stop high-rise buildings in the city, has made building heights the most discussed issue in Hobart.

After receiving the report, the council voted to allow Mr Woolley to investigate the issue further. In particular, it sought modelling of non-discretionary height limits for the Hobart Interim and Sullivans Cove planning schemes.

At its last full meeting, the council reaffirmed its wish for Mr Woolley to produce modelling regarding an absolute building height for the city.

A brief of Mr Woolley’s new project, which will be considered by Hobart’s City Planning Committee on Monday, says his new scope will be:

DEFINE urban context.

PREPARE height control plans for both the CBD and the [Sullivans] Cove and consider maximum (non-discretionary) height limits.

DESIGNATE additional important view lines and view protection planes.

I DENTIFY design principles for new buildings in the CBD that protect the identified townscape and streetscape values.

City Planning Committee member Alderman Tanya Denison said despite a push by community groups to introduce set height limits in Hobart as quickly as possible, the work by Mr Woolley needed to be done.

“It’s the same with any decision we make,” Ald Denison said.

“We need expert advice before we make these sort of decisions.”

The budget for Mr Woolley’s latest project for the council — if he takes it on — will be $55,000.