Brookvale school to increase student numbers
St Augustine’s College in Brookvale has been given the all-clear to increase its student numbers despite two enrolment breaches since 2013, prompting concern from residents about ‘encroachment’.
This represents the second Northern Beaches school to be granted permission to increase student numbers of late.
The college has been operating over enrolment numbers since 2019.
Northern Beaches Council first breached the school for over-enrolments as far back as 2013, before it approved an increase in numbers to 1,200 students in 2014. The second breach occurred in 2019, when 1,400 students were enrolled.
By 2020, the school had started discussions with Council about a development application to build new car parks and increase numbers by 33 per cent. This was submitted in January 2022 and follows a similar application by Mater Maria College in Warriewood, as reported in Peninsula Living in February.
The Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel has given deferred commencement approval to the school to build two car parks, one of which would be across the road from the school, next door to residents at 60 Federal Parade.
The 24-space car park was the subject of many resident complaints, and the panel has stipulated that it should be used by students, to free up parking in residential streets. In addition, the school will not be allowed to use it for special events and will erect 1.8-metre high acoustic barriers to minimise noise for residents.
Student numbers will increase from 1,200 to 1,600, though the panel has stipulated that enrolments will not be allowed to increase until the car parks are built.
Some residents in their submissions expressed concern about future ‘incremental growth’ of the school in a residential area, especially as St Augustine’s already had approval to use land including 60 Federal Parade as an ‘educational establishment’ under State legislation.
The panel addressed this by saying the college was ‘at liberty’ to do this, so it could not curb future expansion unless other development applications were submitted. The college advised it had no other plans in place.