News

$150-million residential tower to be built over new Sydney metro station

Posted: 14.04.2021

The state’s Independent Planning Commission has signed off on plans for a high-rise residential tower above one of central Sydney’s new metro rail stations. 

The $150-million project will see the 39-level tower built over the Pitt Street Metro Station near the intersection of Pitt and Bathurst Streets, in central Sydney. It’s one of seven new stations approved as critical state significant infrastructure for the new Sydney Metro City and Southwest Metro lines. 

The Department of Planning, Industry & Environment finalised its whole-of-government assessment of the Project in February this year, concluding it was approvable subject to its recommended conditions of consent. However, the state significant development application came to the Commission for determination because the Department received more than 50 ‘unique’ public objections to the Project.

Commissioners Chris Wilson (Panel Chair) and Professor Helen Lochhead were appointed to consider the SSD application, as well as an application to modify the existing concept approval to allow some minor encroachments on the approved building envelope. 

The Panel met with the Applicant, Department and City of Sydney Council. Commissioners Wilson and Lochhead also conducted an inspection of the site which wraps around the three-storey, heritage-listed Edinburgh Castle Hotel.

Local residents had their say on the proposed over station development at an electronic Public Meeting hosted by the Commission in March. Concerns raised at the Public Meeting and in written submissions to the Commission focused on built form, building separation, solar access, visual privacy, internal amenity, noise impacts, view loss and heritage impacts. 

After careful consideration of all the evidence, the Commission has today (14 April 2021) determined to approve the Pitt Street South Over Station Development, subject to stringent conditions, concluding:

• the Application is not inconsistent with the Concept Approval
• the Application provides build-to-rent residential accommodation in a highly accessible site for transport and urban services, thereby achieving State, regional and local planning objectives 
• the proposed land uses are permissible and the built form of the development has regard to the planning controls that apply to the Site 
• the Application has been subjected to an extensive design review process and the Commission finds that the outcome achieves design excellence 
• the proposed use increases secure rental housing supply and choice in an appropriate location
• the impacts resulting from the proposal are not unreasonable in the context of the Approved Building Envelope, the high-density CBD location and the constraints posed by the design of the Princeton Apartment building to the immediate south, and
• the Application is consistent with ESD principles.

“[T]he Commission acknowledges that the Application will result in overshadowing and amenity impacts for the occupants of the Princeton Apartment building to the immediate south of the Site,” the Commission’s Statement of Reasons for Decision reads, “However, the Commission finds that the extent of the impacts are reasonable and acceptable given the Application is consistent with the building envelope approved under the Concept Approval, exhibits design excellence, complies with the height and density controls that apply to the Site and is consistent with State, regional and local planning objectives.” 

It added: “On balance, subject to the imposed conditions, the Commission concludes the Application is a reasonable development expectation for the Site, will result in benefits from a housing diversity perspective and is in the public interest.”

The 171-metre tower will be situated above the southern entrance to the new Pitt Street metro station and comprise 234 built-to-rent dwellings, bicycle parking, end of trip facilities and a food and drink premises as a permitted use in the station podium. 

The development will create 350 construction and 30 operational jobs.