Randwick City Council has resolved to place its Randwick Junction Town Centre (RJTC) Planning Proposal on exhibition. Public consultation is expected to occur in the coming weeks.
The RJTC Planning Proposal is a significant initiative to acknowledge the role of the RJTC as part of the broader Randwick Strategic Centre and Health &Education Precinct identified in the District Plan, and to permit built form changes in response to the expected population and employment growth, accessibility to light rail, proximity to health and tertiary education services, and heritage values. It also establishes a mechanism for levying affordable housing contribution from development.
The proposal represents a key step in updating the local planning framework for the town centre against the current socio-economic context. Council estimates that the proposal could deliver up to 800 dwellings over the next 20 years.
Following the granting of Gateway determination by the DPHI in February this year, Council has amended the proposal to incorporate the following key controls:
· Expanding and creating a contiguous town centre by rezoning sites from R3 Medium Density Residential to E2 Commercial Centre
· Increasing the FSR from part 0.9:1 / 2:1 to 2.2:1- 4.5:1 for four “strategic sites”, and a sliding scale of between 2:1 and 3:1for other sites (some sites would remain at 0.9:1)
· Increasing the building height from 12m to 21m –45m for the “strategic sites”, and a sliding scale of between 12m and 21m for other sites
· Setting a minimum non-residential FSR of 1.15:1for the “strategic sites” to promote employment generation
· Providing an affordable housing levy of part 3%,7% and 9% of the total floor area of development for residential purposes
It is important to note that the NSW Government’s Low-Mid-rise Housing Reform has introduced planning provisions allowing a maximum height of 22m / 24m (6 storeys) and a maximum FSR of 2.2:1 for residential flat buildings / shop top housing respectively on R3 zoned land within 400m from the RJTC. This means that the potential change in the local townscape would not be limited to the extent of the RJTC when factoring in other intersecting State planning controls.
The Planning Proposal will be exhibited in conjunction with the RJTC Planning Strategy, Urban Design Study, Affordable Housing Plan and associated technical reports.
If you would like to obtain advice on the development potential of sites within or in the vicinity to the RJTC or require assistance with preparing a submission on the proposal, please contact Mark Schofield or Simon Ip in our office.
