10 Bridge Road

This controversial proposal is to convert an industrial building into a largely residential development in the Business Zone opposite Sydney Secondary College (Blackwattle Campus). This site is located within Wentworth Park. The proposal has been refused for the following reasons, which derive from the Wentworth Park Locality Statement:

• Bridge Road will continue as a gateway to Glebe with high quality buildings, clear and accessible links between Wentworth Park and Blackwattle Bay, a mix of recreational, commercial, industrial use and an enhanced public domain.
• Principle (a) requires that ‘development must achieve and satisfy the outcomes expressed in the character statement and supporting principles’ and Principle (h) aims to ‘discourage residential uses fronting Bridge Road because of the noise impacts from vehicle traffic and the light rail’. The proposal fails to meet both principles.
• The design of the three-storey addition does not represent a ‘high quality building’, nor do the proposed proportions, detailed design elements and materials complement industrial/warehouse typology of the existing building or contribute to an enhanced public domain.
• The proposal is also predominantly residential, only providing a small retail unit on the ground floor. The location of the living areas and terraces front Bridge Rd or onto Darghan Street and are therefore the primary source of natural ventilation. The potential noise levels and air quality may impact on the amenity of future residents.

The Society is pleased with this decision, which is consistent with retaining the current uses of the Bridge Rd Business Zone. Hopefully the other similar zone, along Parramatta Rd, will also be defended. Both zones, as well as providing employment are buffers protecting residents from traffic noise on busy roads.