The Regional Planning Panel has refused a proposed 400+ unit and retail development at The Entrance.
The site is across the road from the waterfront, from 9-29 and 31-33 The Entrance Road, The Entrance and includes the El Lago caravan park.
The proposal consisted of:
# multiple towers from six to nine storeys high.
# 11 retail/food and beverage outlets,
# a gymnasium and
# 414 residential apartments,
# 45 serviced apartments
“The Panel, in its previous briefings, has identified a number of issues with the application that have not been addressed including, but not isolated to, the lack of a social impact assessment and displacement of existing residents, poor heritage and urban design outcomes and impacts on the amenity of surrounding residents,” the panel stated.
“The application lacks detail in terms of fundamental elements regarding flooding impacts, groundwater, and acid sulphate soils.
“The Panel concurs with the assessment of the application contained in the Council report and considers that the development warrants refusal.”
The panel met on October 20 and its decision has been posted on the Department of Planning’s website.
The panel said it had had the benefit of a number of briefings from Council.
Council staff briefed the Hunter and Central Coast Regional Planning Panel in July and noted the site was constrained by The Lake House being a heritage item and adjacent Norfolk Palms street trees which are also local heritage items.
In its preliminary assessment, Council considered that the building height and mass dominated the heritage item and the design did not respond appropriately to view corridors.
It said there was no masterplan or precinct plan provided and Council considered there was a need for pedestrian and vehicle through site links to be maintained.
It also had concerns with the roof top terraces.
The panel noted the applicant had already commenced proceedings in the Land and Environment Court against the “deemed refusal” of the application.
Deemed refusal means a decision was not made in the allocated time after submission of the proposal.
