By Lucy Carroll
Eastern suburbs private school Scots College will this week unveil the $60 million faux baronial castle that will serve as its new student centre – more than seven years after the school lodged state significant plans for the building upgrade.
The controversial centre was approved by the Independent Planning Commission in 2019 despite reservations from Woollahra Council and multiple objections from neighbours concerned about worsening traffic and blocks to their harbour views.
But construction delays and cost blowouts in the years since have frustrated parents, who this term had $50 added to their fee statement for student entry to the centre’s opening event.
“Parents are ropeable about being charged to attend the opening after delays, and the building being well over budget,” said one parent who spoke anonymously so they could talk freely.
Private schools are increasingly using state significant planning pathways to lodge major proposals for building construction and upgrades rather than applying through local councils.
Six of Sydney’s high-fee private schools have more than $600 million worth of building projects in the pipeline, an analysis of the state’s planning portal shows.
Inside the John Cunningham Student Centre.Credit: JCA Architects
The Kings School, MLC and Newington College have multi-year building redevelopment plans under way with the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, each worth more than $100 million.
Some of the projects include performing arts centres, aquatic centres and sports courts. Parents and donors fund private school building projects, and while recurrent government funding cannot be used for capital works and upgrades, it can be allocated towards interest payments.
Scots College, which this year lifted fees to $51,000, first lodged a proposal to overhaul its John Cunningham Centre in late 2017. It included plans to remake the former “flat-roofed, neo-Brutalist, monolithic” building into a new student centre resembling a “Scottish Baronial style” castle.
The plans sparked objections from residents, including from the Concerned Scots Neighbours group, and Bellevue Hill resident Ian Joye, who launched legal action in the Land and Environment Court over plans to increase student numbers.
The faux baronial castle was beset by years of delay and budget blowouts.Credit: JCA Architects
The Bellevue Hill school received approval to demolish the old student centre in 2019, and Prince Edward laid the “foundation stone” at the campus in 2023 while construction was ongoing. The Department of Planning recommended the building’s approval on the basis it was in the public interest to deliver improved educational facilities.
Delays were blamed on acquiring sandstone slates from Scotland while architects toured Edinburgh to visit buildings designed by architect David Bryce in the planning stages. The cost of the total project was about double the original $29 million price tag.
The building contains a staff and student cafe, rooms for student counselling and pastoral care, and a library. Last year the school said the project was slowed down “due to a combination of issues including COVID shut-down periods, supply and labour challenges.”
Construction company Taylor said on its website the building contains “multiple new learning spaces, improved academic research spaces and new formal function rooms”.
Scots, which received combined government funding of about $8 million in 2023, has separately received approval for a new underground car park with a tennis court above, and to increase students numbers by 400 which will lift the enrolment cap to 1520.
Paul Blanket, spokesperson for residents’ group Concerned Scots Neighbours, said residents are concerned about traffic and parking in the area.
“As you increase the student population you put huge pressure on surrounding streets. That’s not unique to Scots, but many private schools doing major building works. Schools need to be aware of concerns of the local community and mitigate the impact on the nearby residents.”
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