New campus would mean 6,000 students, 600 staff in 1km2
North Sydney Council is one of around 20 objectors to a plan by Eastern-suburbs based Reddam House to build a multi-storey campus at 41 McClaren St.
Reddam House has applied to build a kindergarten to year 12 campus in the Harry Seidler-designed Simsmetal House, currently an office building in the busy North Sydney CBD.
There were more than 30 submissions lodged with the NSW State Government’s planning arm about the proposal, the majority objecting to the development. The main concern was an increase in traffic in an already busy CBD, and insufficient demand for school places and space for student recreation in the area. Wenona School is just one block north of the site, and Monte Sant’Angelo College one block west. Within one square kilometre, there would be four schools with 6,000 students and 600 teachers.
The campus would accommodate up to 1560 students, with plans to first open a seven-story junior school for 488 students in 2024. Years 7 to 12 would move in if approval was granted for a second development application, in 2025.
Council was particularly concerned about an increase of queueing at the intersection of Miller St and McLaren St, from 18 minutes to 32 minutes in the morning. In addition, council said that future increases in pedestrian numbers from the forthcoming Sydney Metro had not been considered.
Council has also expressed concern about the lack of ‘meaningful active spaces’ where children can play. The school would use terraces and internal areas for recreation, which council said raised ‘the vexed question of potential noise and privacy impact to nearby residential properties’. Further, council said it had pointed out to the applicant that existing schools in the area already make full use of surrounding parks for outdoor recreation.
Finally, council stated in its report that it would require the imposition of conditions on the government’s determinations. These included that council would not consider any ‘further requests for provision of on street drop off/pick up areas…or loading zones’. The school plans to have a drop off area in a basement car park.
The Department of Planning and Heritage has asked the proponent, Built Development Group, to respond to issues raised in the submissions by 6 September.