Edward St and Penshurst St South Streetscape Improvement Project - Stage 3

Willoughby City Council is undertaking a streetscape improvement project for Edward St and Penshurst St South, Willoughby.

What we've heard from the community so far

Over 2022 and 2023 Council consulted the community about how the street might be improved.

The main suggestions were:

• Reduce speeding and 'rat running'
• Optimise parking
• Make the street greener, shadier and cooler
• Improve amenity and make the street more pedestrian and cycle-friendly

Following this feedback, Council commissioned landscape architects SMM to prepare draft streetscape improvement concept designs, using the community’s suggestions as guiding principles for the project.

The corridor has also been identified by students participating in a Council-led active travel project at Willoughby Public School as one of four key ‘active paths’ which have been waymarked with stencils to encourage more students and their families to walk, cycle or scooter to school.

We conducted further engagement from 22 July to 15 September, 2024 on the draft concept designs.

Read the latest engagement outcome report here

Design and cost plan

We developed a consolidated concept design taking into account community feedback received over the past three years. The design addresses the priorities articulated for the corridor which are, in order of priority:

• Traffic calming
• Pedestrian safety improvements
• Street greening and urban heat mitigation
• Optimising parking
• Improving cycling environment

We also developed a cost plan which identified a gap between the available budget and the funding required, so we're proposing to deliver the works in two stages to allow additional funds to be secured.

Next steps

At its meeting on 15. December 2025, Council will consider a report to Council and whether to:

• Approve the project being split into two separate projects, referred to as Stage 1 and Stage 2
• Approve funding of $670,000 for Stage 1 works funded from $150,000 from the Environment Levy and $520,000 from the Willoughby Local Infrastructure Contributions Plan 2019 PD23 Pedestrian Facilities which is allowed for in the Long Term Financial Plan.
• Support efforts to obtain additional funding (eg state government grants) to fund construction of stage 2

Item 16. Project Update - Edward and Penshurst Street South Streetscape Improvement
Report
Attachment 1 - Consolidated Draft Concept Design Stage 1
Attachment 2 - Consolidated Draft Concept Design Stage 2

Council's decision will be posted on this page when the minutes of the meeting are published. Everyone who has provided feedback to this project will be notified.