An ambitious plan for a new $785 million garden village in North Rocks has been put on the chopping block.
The proposed development, which aimed to deliver over 1,000 new homes, has been rejected by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel.
Located at 361-365 North Rocks Road, the former site of the Royal Institute for Deaf and Blind Children, the ‘North Rocks Village’ planned to cover a whopping total area of 12.67 hectares.
The application featured plans to create a community hub and library, as well as a diverse mix of public open spaces including a full-size oval and village square. Minor commercial and retail offerings such as cafes, a childcare centre and medical centre were proposed as well.
Accommodation would have been divided into 236 townhouses, 690 apartments, nine detached dwellings, as well as approximately 145 independent living units and an aged care centre, with 60-80 beds.
The developer, EG Funds Management, submitted an application to the State Government to change the zoning from R2 low density residential to R4 high density residential.
This would have allowed building heights to increase from three to seven storeys. But the majority of panel members have put a stop to the residential precinct proceeding any further, concluding that it was “not acceptable and did not satisfy the strategic merit test”.
However, the panel also heard conflicting submissions from Parramatta Council and the applicant.
They questioned the development not having strategic merit, especially when it came to achieving Council’s housing targets and the potential of the adjoining retail centre.
Despite being refused, the panel members were in agreement that the site had “potential” for a greater density than the current R2 zoning allows for.
“If the planning proposal were to be revised at the south boundary by reducing the height of the apartment buildings that immediately front North Rocks Road, to two to three storeys, the planning proposal would then successfully achieve a compatible interface with the existing low-rise housing that typifies the North Rocks district,” the planning panel’s record of decision revealed.
“Given the very extreme shortage of housing in the Sydney area, and the reality that a significant effort will be required to provide additional dwellings, the potential that this site holds should be seen as an immediate opportunity.”
It’s not the first time the development has faced objection. The massive plans faced criticism late last year by the City of Parramatta Council, with Councillor Georgina Valjak labelling it as “completely out of character for the area”.
Ellie Busby is a news reporter for Western Sydney Publishing Group. A graduate of the University of Hertfordshire and Western Sydney University, she is a journalism Major. Ellie has worked with Universal Media, The Cova Project and for a range of other organisations. In 2024, Ellie was named Young Writer of the Year at the Mumbrella Publish Awards.