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Harold Park - The Planning Process

 

The Planning Process

Aerial photo of the Harold Park Site

Aerial photo of the Harold Park Site)

The Harold Park Paceway and former Rozelle Tram Depot site is owned by the NSW Harness Racing Club. The Club intend to sell the site, and are seeking to have it rezoned. The site is currently zoned ‘open space’ under the Leichhardt Local Environmental Plan 2000, which restricts future uses and does not guarantee public access.

The City has been charged with this rezoning process and has developed a new site-specific Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP) which will guide future development at Harold Park.  The City has a vision for the site which meets the needs of the local community, provides access to parks, transport and cycleways and promotes excellence in design and sustainability.

The urban renewal of the site will create 3.8 hectares of new public parkland, approximately 1250 new homes, up to 500 new jobs and almost 2km of cycle ways. It will conserve the heritage Rozelle Tram Depot, be an example of best practice sustainable development and provide for affordable housing and community facilities on site.

Who is Involved in the Planning Process?

The site owner

The site owner, the NSW Harness Racing Club, has decided to sell Harold Park to support their industry and focus their activities in Menangle Park. The Club has sought a rezoning to enable the urban renewal of the site and facilitate its sale.

In September 2010 the Club offered to enter into a planning agreement with the City to ensure development on the site will include 3.8 hectares of public open space, 1,000 square metres of land for affordable housing and 500 square metres within the tram sheds for community uses. This agreement will be an integral part of the planning controls for the site.

The City of Sydney

The City has prepared the new Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP) to guide future development on the site.

The planning controls were developed through a program of community consultation and a range of technical studies and were placed on public exhibition in November and December 2010.

On 14 February 2011 Council endorsed the proposed planning controls for Harold Park.

The Central Sydney Planning Committee

The Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) has joint responsibility for the planning of the Harold Park site. The CSPC is made up of the Lord Mayor, two Councillors elected by the City, and four members appointed by the Minister for Planning. Consideration of both State and local issues in the planning process will guide the future plan. On 10 February 2011 the CSPC endorsed the planning controls for the site.

The NSW Department of Planning and the NSW Planning Minister

Following the NSW Harness Racing Club’s application to change the site’s current zoning and planning controls, the then NSW Minister for Planning determined that this process would be managed by the City of Sydney Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC).

The NSW Minister for Planning will have the final sign-off on the new proposed planning controls for the Harold Park site.

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The Community

As with all our major development projects, the City ensures the community is involved throughout the process and can provide valuable input. For Harold Park, two phases of community consultation have taken place - the first providing a chance to talk about opportunities and constraints of the site and the second was an opportunity to provide feedback on the draft urban design study.

Each phase involved community workshops and the opportunity for online feedback. Presentations from the community meetings are available for download.

The planning controls and planning agreement were recently on public exhibition and we thank those people who provided submissions. The matters raised in submissions were addressed in the report to Council’s Planning Development and Transport Committee.

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Planning Principles

Overall planning principles for the site have been adopted by Council and are guided by Sustainable Sydney 2030 and State Planning strategies.

Our objectives are:

  • The expansion of linked green corridors and public open space and investigation of the provision of housing for a diverse range of needs
  • Implementing best practice in sustainable design and construction
  • Incorporating design excellence reflecting local neighbourhood characteristics
  • Exploring broad sustainable transport opportunities
  • Conserving and reusing heritage elements such as the tram sheds, and celebrating the history of the site.

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Technical Studies

Technical studies for the site are also needed to determine opportunities and constraints.

These Studies include:

  • Traffic, Transport and Access
  • Floodplain Management
  • Open Space and Community Facilities
  • Contamination
  • Heritage Impact
  • Economic Impact
  • An Urban Design Study which coordinates findings from the other studies and proposes a built form plan for the site and recommended uses.

The final Technical Studies were included in the report to Council as attachments to the Planning Proposal and can be viewed here.

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Key Steps In The Planning Process

  • Phase one of community consultation: identifies issues to guide studies - complete
  • Phase two of community consultation: reports back on the outcome of the site studies - complete
  • Analysis of community feedback and technical studies to create Planning Proposal and draft DCP – complete
  • Planning Proposal and draft DCP given to Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee, recommending endorsement for public exhibition - complete
  • City to receive an offer for a Planning Agreement, consistent with the Council and CSPC resolutions, from the Club prior to proceeding to public exhibition - complete
  • Planning Proposal referred to Department of Planning seeking permission for public exhibition – complete
  • City and the Club to prepare a draft planning agreement ready for public exhibition – complete
  • Planning Proposal, draft DCP, and draft Planning Agreement placed on public exhibition – complete
  • Submissions reviewed for incorporation into final planning controls – complete
  • Response and final controls reported to Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee for approval and referral to the Minister for Planning – complete
  • City and Club to agree to final terms of the draft Planning Agreement – complete
  • The Planning Proposal is referred to the Department of Planning and the Minister requesting the Local Environmental Plan be made and gazetted – complete
  • The Minister for Planning makes a final decision on the Local Environmental Plan. The DCP and Planning Agreement come into force when the LEP is gazetted – complete
  • The proponent submits development applications for various stages of the development. – current

The LEP making process can be followed through the NSW Department of Planning’s ‘Local Plan Making Tracking System’ by following the link to the Department’s website.

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Downloads

 

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Last Updated: Tuesday 6 March, 2012

Please Note:
While care is taken to ensure accuracy, the City of Sydney cannot guarantee that information expressed here is correct and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. The City of Sydney makes no warranty or undertaking, whether expressed or implied, nor does it assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect.