Bayside Council has selected its preferred design for 64 to 68 The Grand Parade, Brighton-Le-Sands incorporating the restoration of the heritage-listed Saywell terrace houses.
The historic row of terrace houses, which was built around 1884, will be adapted for reuse, probably for commercial purposes, as part of a high-rise redevelopment of the site.
The development was made possible after the council amended the Rockdale Local Environmental Plan 2011 for the site, increasing the maximum building height from 12 metres to 36 metres (10 storeys) and maximum floor space ratio from 1:1 to 4:1.
Council staff originally recommended a maximum height of 28 metres and floor space ratio of 3:1 but the council decided to support the planning controls sought by the proponent.
The Department of Planning approved the Planning Proposal for public exhibition in mid-2017 and the council received 17 objections raising concerns about heritage impacts, overshadowing, building and height density and traffic impacts.
There were concerns the proposed demolition of part of the heritage-listed terrace would affect its historic and architectural integrity.
The Office of Environment and Heritage requested the heritage significance of the properties be retained and consideration be given to retaining a reasonable setting for the terrace.
The proponent agreed to amend the proposal to retain the rear wing of the southernmost terrace on the corner of The Grand Parade and Princess Street in the future design.
The Planning Proposal retains and restores the main parts of the existing terrace to provide retail and commercial uses and an active street frontage to the Grand Parade and Princess Street.
Bayside Council held a design excellence competition of the site funded by the proponent.
Three architect firms - Carter Williams Architects, Fox Johnson, and Olsson & Associates Architects, developed designs for the site.
These designs were required to address the adaptive reuse of the Saywell terraces, minimise overshadowing of Cook Park and Lady Robinson Beach, and integrate the residential flat building with the heritage terraces.
The designs were presented to a jury of architects which included an independent juror nominated by the Government Architect’s Office, two architects nominated by the proponent and two architects nominated by the council.
The jury selected the Fox Johnston design, citing its “innovative apartment design principles, high degree of landscape integration, and the successful relationship between the residential building and heritage terraces”.
Fox Johnston will now lodge the scheme as a development application to Bayside Council.
