Planning Proposal, draft site specific Development Control Plan and draft voluntary planning agreement at 641-653 and 655A Pacific Highway Chatswood

Feedback is sought on a planning proposal seeking to amend zoning, height and floor space controls on the following land in the suburb of Chatswood:

• 641-653 Pacific Highway
• 655A Pacific Highway

The planning proposal is also accompanied by:

• A draft site specific Development Control Plan.
• A draft voluntary planning agreement

The closing time and date for submissions is 5pm Friday, 9 August 2024.

Proposed amendments to Willoughby Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2012

The following amendments are proposed to the Willoughby LEP:

• Change the land use zone from R3 Medium Density Residential to MU1 Mixed Use.
• Increase the height on the site from 12m to 90m.
• Increase the Floor Space Ratio on the site from 0.9:1 to 6:1.
• Apply a minimum non-residential floor space requirement equating to 17% of total assessable GFA on the site.

The above changes:

• Respond to the Council’s Chatswood CBD Planning and Urban Design Strategy, which seeks to guide all future development in the Chatswood CBD to 2036 and beyond (including providing growth for employment and housing, achieving exceptional design and supporting a distinctive, resilient and vibrant centre); and
• Will facilitate the construction of a 27-storey mixed use development

Proposed amendments to Willoughby Development Control Plan:

The proposed LEP amendments are accompanied by proposed changes to the Willoughby Development Control Plan (DCP).

These changes include objectives, performance criteria and controls to guide future development at the site, covering matters such as built form, setbacks, street wall heights, amenity, open space and landscaping.

Draft Voluntary Planning Agreement

The proposed voluntary planning agreement (VPA) provides for infrastructure embellishment in the Chatswood CBD.

Information available

In the Supporting Documents section at the right hand side of this page, you can find the following documents.

These documents are broadly listed in chronological order, with the most recent documents at the top:

• Information from proponent to address the Gateway Determination.
• Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure Gateway Determination.
• Information from the proponent to address the 11 December 2023 Council Meeting Resolution.
• Council report and attachments prepared for the 11 December 2023 Council meeting, and meeting resolution, including proposed changes to the Willoughby LEP in the form of maps and written changes, the proposed site specific draft Development Control Plan, and the draft voluntary planning agreement.
• Proponent Planning Proposal information submitted to Council including an amended planning proposal report and urban design report.

Other details

In accordance with the process for planning proposals, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has issued a Gateway Determination which requires that the proposal be placed on exhibition for a minimum of 20 days. The Planning Proposal has been placed on exhibition for 28 days.

The Gateway Determination includes authorisation for Willoughby City Council to exercise the functions of the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces under section 3.36(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The proposed rezoning and planning control changes currently on exhibition will be used to assess any future development applications for the site.

A concept plan and supporting documentation has been submitted indicating a possible redevelopment of the site based on the proposed planning controls and the Chatswood CBD Planning and Urban Design Strategy.

The exhibition of the draft voluntary planning agreement is consistent with Clause 204 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021.

How to have your say

The planning proposal, draft WDCP amendments and draft VPA are on exhibition from Friday, 12 July to Friday, 9 August 2024.

Written submissions will be received up until 5pm Friday, 9 August 2024 and can be:

• Provided at the electronic submission form below; or
• Addressed to the General Manager, PO Box 57, Chatswood NSW 2057; or
• Emailed to email@willoughby.nsw.gov.au.

For enquiries contact Strategic Planner Craig O'Brien on (02) 9777 1000

Please Note

• Comments should be restricted to the planning proposal, draft site specific WDCP changes and draft voluntary planning agreement.
• To help us to better understand your feedback, it would be helpful if you provide sub-headings on key themes within your comments or submissions
• Council takes no responsibility for comments of a personal or defamatory nature contained in submissions.
• You should also be aware submissions are not individually acknowledged and concerns raised in your submission will not be responded to individually but will be considered as part of the assessment.
• Submissions will be publicly available, and in relation to that, the Willoughby Council Privacy Statement is available below, and should be noted prior to making a submission:

Council's Privacy Statement

In making your submission, you may choose to remain anonymous, however this needs to be clearly stated on the submission (at the top of the front page in bold) that it is not to be treated as a public document. Please note should there be a need to substantiate matters contained in a submission made by you, anonymous submissions may be given less weight (or no weight) in the consideration of the matter.

Persons lodging submissions must declare political donations (including donations of $1000 or more) made in the previous 2 years. Further details on Disclosure of Political Donations and Expenditures is available below:

Disclosure of Political Donations and Expenditures