The Planning Proposal seeks the following amendments to Parramatta (formerly The Hills) Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2012:
- Amend Schedule 1 of the Parramatta (former The Hills) LEP 2012 by adding ‘retail premises’ as an additional permitted use (limited to a maximum of 3,800m2) to facilitate a supermarket and liquor store at 1 Windsor Road, North Rocks.
- Require that ‘retail premises’ may only be permitted as an additional permitted use in conjunction with an existing permissible use under the B6 Enterprise Corridor zone.
Council has negotiated a Draft Planning Agreement with the developer in accordance with Council’s Planning Agreements Policy (2018). The Draft Planning Agreement proposes to:
- Dedicate a portion of the Land to Council free of cost (the Dedication Land) for the purpose of possible future road widening of James Ruse Drive; and
- Register a public access easement at no cost to Council, over that part of the Land on which the Bridge Works and the Council Works will be located, in favour of Council (the Easement).
The Planning Agreement also provides that the Developer will after obtaining development consent for the development of the Land (regardless of use):
- Construct a lightweight steel bridge structure 3m wide that is to provide further pedestrian access to the Land from North Rocks Road (the Works);
The Planning Agreement also provides that the Developer will after obtaining development consent for the development of the Land as a supermarket:
- Pay a monetary contribution of $500,000.00 (the Contribution) to facilitate the construction of a future footbridge connection
A planning proposal (also known as a rezoning application) is a document that explains proposed changes to land use planning controls that are found in a Local Environmental Plan (LEP)*.
A planning proposal details how the controls are proposed to change, for example by increasing building heights or floor space ratios to allow for more development in a particular area.
It also sets out the justification for why these changes are suitable for the site and an assessment of the potential impacts of the proposal and how they should be resolved, if it is approved. Planning proposals are usually supported by extensive technical information to help with the assessment such as studies on flooding, traffic, urban design, and social impact assessments.
A planning proposal can be prepared by anyone, but usually it is either a landowner, developer, or Council.
A local environmental plan (LEP) is a legal document that guides planning decisions by local governments. It is prepared by Council and approved by the State Government. The LEP is an important planning tool that helps shape the future of our area and ensures development is done appropriately. Controls in an LEP include such things as land use zones, building heights, floor space ratios, flood risk management controls and also heritage protections
A “Planning Agreement” is a legal document that is created under the Environmental Planning & Assessment Act 1979 between developers and government agencies (including councils) for the provision of funds or works by the developer for infrastructure, services, or other public amenities.
A planning agreement enables the opportunity for councils to negotiate much needed community facilities and infrastructure which could not be obtained through a development contributions plan*. Planning agreements are a more flexible mechanism to fund or deliver infrastructure to an area and can be tailored to the specific needs of where redevelopment is proposed.
* Development contributions plans enable councils to charge fees on new development in order to help fund new and upgraded infrastructure which will be required as a result of additional demand coming from more residents, workers and visitors.
Traffic issues such as traffic generation, traffic and transport infrastructure upgrades and pedestrian and cyclist access to and from the site have been investigated.
It is considered that these matters can be addressed as follows:
- Access improvements from North Rocks Road – augmenting the existing access bridge into the site to facilitate safe access (at least 3m wide) for pedestrians and cyclists entering and leaving the site.
- Provision of a new roundabout to the east of the site on North Rocks Road to manage the right hand turn traffic movements out of the site during peak
- Provision of a third lane on the westbound off ramp of James Ruse Drive onto Windsor Road.
Please refer to Page 4 of the Council report for more detailed justification.
