|
Item 8.9 - Attachment 1 |
Detailed Report Epping
Town Centre Study |
ATTACHMENT 1: (DETAILED REPORT - EPPING TOWN
CENTRE STUDY)
INTRODUCTION
Epping Town Centre
is focused around the Epping Railway Station, with the railway line and
In 2007, the
requirement for a joint planning study for the Epping Town Centre was raised by
the Minister for Planning at the time and was also identified in the draft West
Central and North subregional strategies prepared by the NSW State Government
as part of the Sydney Metropolitan Strategy.
The Metropolitan
Plan for Sydney for 2036 identifies Epping as being within the Global Economic
Corridor extending from Sydney Airport/Port Botany to Parramatta, and each of
the subregional strategies identifies Epping as a ‘Town Centre’ in the
hierarchy of centres.
Epping has also seen
recent upgrades to the rail network, including the Epping to Chatswood Railway
Line, and is also earmarked for inclusion in both the
BACKGROUND
While Parramatta City Council
(PCC) had already completed its draft planning work for Epping as part of the
draft
That Council agree in principle, to join with
Hornsby Council and the Department of Planning to formulate planning controls
for the Epping town centre for both sides of the railway line.
The Department of
Planning & Infrastructure (DoPI) established a Working Group and Project
Control Group, and developed a draft brief for the study. Both Councils raised
concern with regard to the funding of the project. The Department suggested
that Parramatta City Council and Hornsby Shire Council (HSC) jointly apply for
Planning Reform Funding from the Department to cover the full cost of the
proposed study. This was reported to Council on 25 August 2008 and Council
resolved:
That Council continue to participate in the joint
planning work for the centre.
On 30 January 2009, PCC and HSC made a joint
application to the Department for funding under the Planning Reform Fund for
the joint Epping town centre study. Funding of $300,000 was sought based upon
the estimated costs to deliver the brief.
On 12 August 2009, the Minister for Planning
announced the Planning Reform Funding. HSC received written notification
offering $125,000 towards the joint Epping planning study. This amount was
insufficient to cover the costs of delivering the project brief. A Mayoral Minute on 24 Aug 2009 resolved:
That Council defer a decision of the offer of
Planning Reform Funding pending further discussions with Hornsby Shire Council
and the Department of Planning with regard to the ability to vary the project
scope and the timing of the joint Epping planning study.
Further, that as part of the proposed discussions, an
actual meeting be held between both Councils and the Department and all
councillors be invited to attend such meeting.
On 19 October 2009 Council resolved that it would accept a funding offer
of $125,000 from the Department for the Joint Epping Town Centre Study, subject
to it being used for an integrated traffic and transport plan.
In February 2010 a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) was entered into
between PCC, HSC and the Department to complete a joint planning study for
Epping Town Centre. Following a tender process, JBA Planning Consultants (and
sub consultants) were engaged to undertake the study.
The preliminary draft study was completed in late April 2011 and
presented to Councillors at a workshop in mid May 2011. Subject to comments
from Councillors and Council staff, a final draft of the study was completed in
July 2011 and has been provided to Councillors under separate cover.
STUDY BRIEF,
PROCESS & PRELIMINARY CONSULTATION
The study brief required the holistic investigation of the Epping Town Centre
comprising land generally within 800m -1000m radius (10 minute walk) of the railway
station, and including land within both the Parramatta and Hornsby LGAs (see
study area map at Attachment 2). The
key aim of the study was to explore the potential of the Epping Town Centre to
accommodate increased residential and employment growth.
The study was premised by dividing the study area into a ‘town centre
core area’ and ‘surrounding residential area.’ The brief also sought to
nominate a short term growth scenario (to 2020) and a long tem growth scenario (post
2020). Underpinning the study, the brief required the preparation of an
integrated traffic and transport analysis; opportunities and constraints
analysis; retail and commercial analysis; and establishment of potential
residential, retail and commercial growth options under each scenario.
The objectives of the Epping Town Centre Study were to:
· analyse transport issues within the study
area and model transport outcomes;
· analyse the opportunities and constraints
for the study area;
· explore two growth scenarios (short term and
long term) for the Epping Town Centre identifying additional dwellings, employment
(commercial) floor space and retail floor space available under each scenario;
· identify infrastructure upgrades required to
accommodate each scenario:
· deliver an urban structure plan, including
the development of new planning controls for the Epping Town Centre; and
· identify funding sources for the provision
of any proposed works and facilities associated with development.
The study was prepared by JBA Planning Consultants (and sub consultants)
including Halcrow & Hughes Trueman (traffic and transport analysis and
costing), Hill PDA (economic analysis) and KJA (consultation/community
engagement).
The project was managed by Hornsby Shire Council however; a Working
Group, Steering Committee and Government Agencies Group were established, to
provide feedback to inform the consultant team. These groups comprised
representatives of PCC, HSC and the Department, and included Councillor
representation on the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee was consulted
on the recommendations of the study and provided appropriate feedback
throughout the process. Councillors were provided update memos throughout the
study process
Community consultation was undertaken in the form of community street
stalls held in Epping in early December 2011 (to understand the community’s issues
and to understand how the community would like to see Epping develop). In
addition a Stakeholder Reference Group (SRG) was established comprising
representatives of local stakeholder groups and local residents. The SRG met
with the consultant team in November 2010 and early March 2011.
Should Council adopt the draft study, further public community
consultation will be undertaken via public exhibition. This is discussed in
further detail in this report under the heading Public Exhibition.
CURRENT LAND USES
IN EPPING
As stated above, the study area comprises an area of between 800m -
1000m radius from Epping Train Station and is identified as a predominantly
suburban residential centre in
Existing Housing
4,100 dwellings including 1,610 houses, 175 town houses/villas and 2,370
apartments, accommodating approximately 10,000 residents.
Existing Retail & Commercial
Approximately 55,000 sqm commercial office space and 13,000 sqm retail
space, providing approximately 3,400 jobs.
Other existing uses
The centre includes a number of public open spaces and community
facilities including library, community centre, Council owned car park, as well
as schools and places of public worship and entertainment type uses including
the Epping Club, Epping Hotel and Boronia Park Conference Centre.
KEY RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE STUDY
Role of Epping
The
study envisages Epping Town Centre’s role as a residential origin, rather than
an employment destination. Redevelopment of Epping would provide housing growth
and choice to serve nearby employment centres at
In the
short term scenario there would be no increase in commercial floor space within
Epping, with a likely reduction in commercial floor space in the longer term (between
30,000 – 47,000sqm reduction by 2036) due to potential conversion of existing commercial
floor space to residential or retail purposes. This is due to the fact that the
bulk of Epping’s commercial floor space is comprised of three main ‘business
centres’ which may not be viable in the longer term. Also the demand for commercial
office space is likely to change from large companies occupying whole buildings
to smaller office spaces accommodating small businesses.
Service
retail would however be likely to increase in both the short and long term
scenarios to serve the existing and expanded residential population. The study
assumes an increase of 5,000 – 7,500 sqm of retail floor space by 2036.
Town Centre Core & Surrounding
Residential Areas
The
study area is split into two investigation areas being the ‘town centre core
area’ and ‘surrounding residential area’. The core generally comprises the
current commercial/retail areas sounding the railway station, while the
surrounding residential area comprises the existing low and high density residential
areas within the study area boundary.
A. The
Town Centre Core
The study
proposes a compact mixed use core centre area that is proposed to be zoned B2
Local Centre, allowing for a mix of retail, commercial and residential uses. This
is proposed along both sides of the railway station to ensure consistency
across each local government area. Development within this area would be up to
72 metres (22 storeys) in height and would require active ground level frontage
(particularly along Beecroft Road, Rawson Street and parts of Bridge Street),
with residential and some commercial in the form of slim line towers above.
A
number of key sites are identified for redevelopment within the core area, including
the Rawson Street Car Park site , the Coles Supermarket site (53 Rawson Street),
the Epping Hotel site (53-53 Beecroft Road & 54-54A Rawson Street) and the
land between Epping Hotel and the Genesis development (56A-72 Rawson Street
& 59-77 Beecroft Road).
Within
the Hornsby LGA, key sites are identified as 246- 250 Beecroft Road (service station
on the corner of Beecroft/Carlingford Roads); 240-242 Beecroft Road (commercial
development north of service station), 12-22 Langston Place & 8-10 Pembroke
Street (including Hornsby Council owned land); 3-5 Pembroke Street & 32-42
Oxford Street (owned by Uniting Church); and 37-41 Oxford Street (Cambridge
Business Park).
The
study also seeks to improve connectivity within the town centre core, both across
the railway line, and within the eastern and western precincts, including
improved connections between
B. Residential
Having
regard to the opportunities and constraints of the area including topography,
flooding, vegetation, bushfire risk, heritage items and conservation area, land
ownership patterns, lot size, infrastructure corridors, walkability and
proximity to transport, open space and services, the surrounding residential
areas were analysed to determine the potential to accommodate residential
growth in the short and long term scenarios.
Within
the Parramatta LGA, none of the residential areas were identified for growth as
part of the study recommendations. This was primarily due to the constraints of
heritage, existing strata subdivision and small lot sizes, making the area less
viable for redevelopment purposes. The area generally bound by Kent Street,
Grandview Parade, Boronia Avenue and Carlingford Road was identified as having
potential to be further investigated for redevelopment in the future, but was
not considered the best location for development within the life of the study
time frames and therefore no change to the planning controls are recommend by
the study for that precinct.
It is
noted that the existing residential flat buildings in the area bound by
Carlingford Road, Kent, Bridge and Victoria Streets (generally surrounding
Boronia Park) is identified as being highly constrained by existing strata
subdivision and therefore as a whole is unlikely to achieve significant redevelopment
potential. The study recommends this area be zoned R4 High Density Residential,
reflecting its current predominant use.
Within
the Hornsby LGA, five individual precincts were identified for redevelopment as
part of the study. These are discussed further in Section 5.10 of the Study
Dwelling Targets
The
study proposes an additional 3,195 – 4,320 dwellings across the study area
between 2011 and 2036. This is based upon planning controls recommended in the
study and assumes a 50 – 80% take up of development potential to 2036. It is
also assumed that most redevelopment within the core area would include residential
development (other than say ground/ first floor).
Of the
total number of dwellings, approximately 1,800 – 2,925 additional dwellings
will be located within the town centre core (both
Within
the Parramatta LGA, the total number of additional dwellings will range from
675 – 1090 within the core area, and an additional 25 dwellings within the residential
areas due to subdivision or other infill development. In comparison, the draft
Parramatta LEP controls for Epping assumed approximately 762 additional
dwellings (at 100% uptake) within the Epping Residential Development Strategy
Area (area bound by
Building Height & Urban Form
The approach to built form proposed
by the study had regard to the existing street block pattern, existing built
form and streetscape, views and vistas, topography and the relationship between
topography and tall buildings.
Tallest buildings (55m to 72m or
16 – 22 storeys) are proposed along Beecroft Road, and Rawson Street (east
side), as well as key locations on the Hornsby LGA side. Mid-rise buildings
(28m – 48m or 8 – 14 storeys) are proposed on
The tallest building height of 72m
is recommended within the cental point of the Rawson Street/Beecroft Road block
(Epping Hotel site) as this is identified as a key marker of the Epping
Station, as well as the northern corner of Carlingford/Beecroft Road (Hornsby
LGA) and corner Langston Place Beecroft
Road (Hornsby LGA).
With regard to the tall buildings
within the core centre area, the study recommends a low level podium (2 – 3
storeys) with slim line towers above (up to 20 storeys) oriented away from
major roads/railway line. The predominant justification of this particularly
along Beecroft Road/ Rawson Street includes reduced bulk of development,
improved streetscape and pedestrian amenity, improved solar access, improved
residential amenity (better solar access and less exposure to noise impacts,
access to district views), and best economic utilisation of land.
It is noted that the built form
proposed within the study area, provides for a slightly different outcome on
the eastern and western sides of the railway line. While both sides accommodate
high rise slim line towers, the majority of these would be located along
The justification for this is that
the existing streetscape and street block pattern provides different characteristics
on either side of the railway line and the form proposed attempts to be
sympathetic to this, and seeks to retain the village streetscape in Oxford
Street (Hornsby LGA). The study also identifies the western side of the town
centre as the more dominant side and the study seeks to respond to this.
For the high density residential
zone surrounding the core, a 12m (3 storey) height limit has been proposed,
which reflects predominant existing building height in this area. Building heights within the low density residential
area will remain at 9m (2 storeys).
Heritage Items & Conservation Areas
The
study recommends the adoption of the draft heritage items and heritage
conservation areas that Council had previously resolved in July 2008. This
includes the extension of the Epping/Eastwood Heritage Conservation Area,
creation of the Boronia Avenue Heritage Conservation Area, and addition of new
heritage items at
Road, Cycle & Pedestrian Network
The Transport
Study undertaken identified that the existing road network within parts of the
study area carries high volumes of traffic particularly along Epping Road, Beecroft
Road, Carlingford Road and Blaxland Road, carrying (in parts) similar volumes
to sections of Parramatta Road. Accordingly, a number of roadways and key intersections
within the study area are highly constrained during the peak periods. Significantly,
89% of all trips using the rail overpass bridge during peak periods do not
originate or have destinations within the study area (i.e. it is through
traffic).
Given
the existing traffic issues, the study identifies that in order to accommodate
growth within the Epping Town Centre, vehicular, cycle and pedestrian improvements
including improved east west connections across the railway line are required.
Particularly
the study recommends road upgrades at the intersection of Beecroft and
Carlingford Roads; widening of the road bridge over the railway to accommodate
an additional vehicle lane and to create two additional pedestrian footways on
either side of the railway bridge; provision of an at grade pedestrian crossing
at Beecroft Road; upgrade Epping/Blaxland Road intersection; upgrade Epping
Road/Essex Street intersection; and remove the right hand turn from Langston
Place on to Epping Road. These improvements have been valued at approximately
$16.6 million.
It is
noted that as part of the study, a Government Agencies Group was established
including representatives of the RTA and Transport NSW. While some of these
matters were discussed at the high level, the suggested road improvements would
need to be further investigated and agreed to in consultation with the RTA (and
Railcorp where the works could impact upon the railway line). Funding for these
works would also need to be determined and this is discussed in further detail
below under the heading Infrastructure
Funding.
Changes
to the local laneway network are also recommended including additional
east-west connections between
Open Space, Community Facilities and
The
study identifies the opportunity for the Council owned Rawson Street Car Park
to be redeveloped, with any future redevelopment potentially including a
basement car park, at grade town square, provision of community facilities, and
private redevelopment opportunities above.
The zoning, height and floor space ratio for the site are recommended
within the study, however, it is noted that the future redevelopment of the
site would be subject to further master planning and investigation by Council.
All
existing open spaces and community facilities are to be retained under the
study, and opportunities for additional open space and facilities are proposed
as part of future redevelopment of the Rawson Street Car Park. Additional opportunities
for open space and community facilities are also identified within the Hornsby
LGA including parts of the existing Bowling Club on
Public Domain Improvements
The
study includes a Public Domain Improvement Plan which identifies opportunities
for new town square (Rawson Street) and plaza (Pembroke Street), public open
spaces (Bowling Club site), active ground building frontages (including
Beecroft Road, Rawson Street and Bridge Street), landscaping and street tree
planting (throughout the centre), footpath enhancement (including Beecroft Road
and Rawson Street), and improved pedestrian and cycle connections (throughout
centre).
Funding
of these public domain improvements would need to be resolved and may include
development contributions, planning agreements, and State government funding as
detailed further below under the heading Infrastructure
Funding.
Public Transport & Car Parking
Strategy
While
Epping Railway Station is identified for inclusion in both the Parramatta to
Epping Rail Link and the North West Rail Link, the study suggests that this
would not increase commuter parking at Epping, and that commuters would likely park
at locations of new railway stations. Accordingly, there is no recommendation
within the study for a formal commuter car park in Epping.
As the
town centre is well serviced by public transport, the study does suggest that
car parking rates within the town centre be reviewed within the next 5 years,
particularly as the modal split changes towards improved public transport use,
walking and cycling.
HOW DOES DRAFT STUDY COMPARE
WITH DRAFT
A
simplified comparison of the planning controls proposed under the study in
comparison with those previously adopted by Council under the draft Parramatta
LEP 2011 is provided below:
|
Control |
Draft LEP |
Study |
|
Zoning |
B2 Local Centre ( SP2 Infrastructure ( RE1 Public Open Space & W1 Natural
Waterway ( R4 High Density Residential
(Bridge/Victoria/Carlingford/ |
Same as draft LEP with the exception
of the Rawson Street Car Park site which is proposed to be zoned B2 Local
Centre. |
|
Height |
Heights range from 10-40m (2-12
storeys) within the B2 Local Centre Zone. No height limit prescribed to 11m height limit (3 storeys) within
the R4 High Density Residential Zone. 9m (2 storeys) within the R2 Low
Density Residential Zone. |
Heights range from 21-72m (6-22
storeys) within the B2 Local Centre Zone. Part 28m & part 48m maximum height
for 12m height limit (3 storeys) within the
R4 High Density Residential Zone. 9m (2 storeys) within the Low Density
Residential Zone. |
|
Floor Space Ratio (FSR) |
FSR range from 2:1 to 4:1 within the
B2 Local Centre Zone. No FSR limit prescribed to Rawson
Street Car Park site. 0.8:1 within the R4 High Density
Residential Zone. 0.5:1 within the R2 Low Density
Residential Zone. |
FSR range from 2.5:1 to 6:1 within the
B2 Local Centre Zone. 3.5:1 maximum FSR for Rawson Street Car
Park site. 0.8:1 within the R4 High Density
Residential Zone. 0.5:1 within the R2 Low Density Residential
Zone. |
|
Heritage Items &
Conservation Areas |
Existing Heritage Conservation Areas
(HCA) ( Existing items at |
Existing Items and HCAs Extension to Epping/Eastwood HCA New Listing of new heritage items at |
|
Minimum |
Minimum lot size 550sqm to R2 and R4
zones. |
Minimum lot size 550sqm to R2 and R4
zones. |
DISCUSSION
TRAFFIC &
TRANSPORT
Traffic congestion
is a known constraint of Epping Town Centre and the Transport Study undertaken
by Halcrow has revealed that many of the existing roadways within the study
area (particularly Beecroft, Blaxland, Carlingford and Epping Roads) carry high
volumes of traffic in peak periods, and that a number of key intersections are
already at or beyond their capacity, leading to long queues and significant
delays during peak periods.
There is a high
volume of through traffic in the Epping Town Centre with 89% of all peak
traffic on the rail bridge having trip origins and destinations outside of the
study area. This high proportion of through traffic is characteristic of
arterial routes carrying longer distance traffic between metropolitan centres,
with sections of Epping and Beecroft Roads carrying traffic volumes comparable
to parts of
Substantial delays
to traffic movements in Epping Town Centre are caused by two significant
bottlenecks on the road network at
The Transport Study
modelled two growth scenarios within Epping, being the short term scenario to
2020 and the long term scenario being post 2020. The traffic model was based
upon a midway point (2016 for the short term) and (2026 for the long term) to
provide indicative impacts of growth upon the capacity of the local road
network.
The short term scenario was modelled in 2016, and the following
assumptions were made for the purpose of the traffic model:
· 900
additional dwellings;
· 3,000sqm
additional retail space;
· no
change in commercial floor space;
· no
new major public transport works or highway works;
· M2
widening complete;
· Strategic
bus corridor serving Epping implemented;
· Background
traffic growth of approx 1% (due to surrounding redevelopment including former
Channel 7 and Eastwood Brickworks sites);
· Reduction
in the proportion (modal split) of car travel to work by 4%; and
· 2%
of all local and district trips undertaken by bicycle.
Under this scenario
the study identifies that total volume of peak hour traffic generated by the
development in the AM peak is 270 and 315 in the PM peak. Given the existing
congestion levels within the study area, any increase in traffic will
significantly impact those intersections close to or exceeding their capacity
unless intersection improvements or signalised timing adjustment are
undertaken.
Should no
improvements/timing changes be undertaken, the additional traffic linked to
development and increased traffic will lead to delays increasing by 29% in the
AM peak and 22% in the PM peak. These upgrades are detailed below and are
estimated to have a value of $16.6 million excluding land acquisition costs:
1. North Epping traffic that currently turns right from Langston
Place should be re-directed to Essex Street by banning the right turn for
general traffic at Langston Place.
2. To facilitate increased traffic volumes due to the re-routing from
Langston Place, Essex Street/Epping Road intersection should have the
pedestrian crossing facility moved to the Eastern side and Essex Street
approaches should be widened to accommodate additional turning lanes.
3. Rail bridge carriageway widening is undertaken by removal of
footpaths on north and south sides to accommodate additional westbound lane.
4. New shared pedestrian/ cycle bridges are constructed on the north
and south sides of the existing rail bridge.
5. An additional lane is created on the southern side of Epping Road
at approach to Blaxland Road.
6. The Beecroft Road southbound approach to the Beecroft
Road/Carlingford Road Intersection is widened to accommodate an additional two
lanes (one through lane over a distance of at least 150m and one turning lane
over a distance of 50m).
7. Provision of an at grade pedestrian crossing over Beecroft Road
linking to the railway station stairwell.
For the long term
scenario, modelled in 2026, the following assumptions were made for the traffic
model:
· 3,000
additional units (total);
· 6,000sqm
additional retail space (total);
· Reduction
of 37,000sqm commercial floor space;
· Completed
North West Rail link, Parramatta Epping Rail Link and Western Express Line;
· M5
duplication;
· M2
to F3 tunnel;
· M4
east & M4 widening;
· Reduction
in the proportion (modal split) of car travel to work by 14%;
· 5%
of all local trips undertaken by bicycle;
· Substantial
increase in background traffic growth of approximately 14% (from 2016); and
· All
recommended short term traffic intersection upgrades have been undertaken.
Under this scenario
the study identifies that the total volume of peak hour traffic generated by
the development in the AM peak is 374 and 617 in the PM peak. Therefore the net
increase in development trips between the short and long term scenario is 104
in the AM peak and 302 in the PM peak.
The Halcrow report
suggests that the recommended short term traffic improvements will go some way
toward providing capacity for the long term scenario as well as the short term
development capacity proposed by the study. However, the substantial increase
in background traffic growth between 2016 and 2026 is identified as the main
cause as to why the short term traffic upgrades will not cope with the long
term growth scenario and efficiencies will begin to decline between 2016 and
2026. Accordingly, the study recommends that the State Government should be
approached to fund long term infrastructure solutions.
Two long term
infrastructure solutions were tested by the traffic model. Firstly the
provision of a tunnel constructed between Epping Road (east of Pembroke Street)
and Beecroft Road (north of Carlingford Road) to accommodate all traffic that
currently travels between these two points. The second long term option tested
focussed around through trip removal and assumes that significant policy
measures are introduced and/or significant redistribution of through trips away
from the study area is achieved by substantial new infrastructure provision
outside the study area.
The study concludes that these long term
infrastructure scenarios are unlikely to occur due to financial constraints
(2km tunnel could cost up to $250 million) and other implementation
difficulties and therefore the Transport Study suggests that the long term
solutions are unviable at this time.
The study does however state that to accommodate
traffic from 2016 to 2026 there will need to be road upgrades on the eastern
side of the railway line (Hornsby LGA) and additional carriageway widening at
the following locations:
• Epping Road westbound from Terry’s Creek to
• Carlingford Road eastbound from
• Beecroft Road southbound from M2 to
HSC has also suggested some additional works
on
For the long term on the eastern side of the
railway line (PCC & HSC) the following road improvements are suggested by
PCC:
· Signalised
intersection at Carlingford Road (opposite Cliff Road) to provide access for
properties on the west side of Rawson Street (behind Coles Supermarket). Note:
This is also suggested in the JBA Study.
· A
signalised exit from basement car parks of new development in block between
Beecroft Road/Rawson Street, leading onto Beecroft Road. This could also
provide a bus route from Rawson Street bypassing other congested intersections.
· Tidal
flow at the intersection of Carlingford and Beecroft Roads.
Modal
Current transport
mode share for Epping Town Centre is currently dominated by car drivers. 61% of
people that work in Epping arrive as a car driver, likewise of those trips that
originate in Epping, 47% are as car drivers. However, of trips that originate
in Epping, a large proportion (49%) travel to work by non-car methods (public
transport, walking and cycling), with 4% working from home.
Combining journey to
work trips of residents and workers, Epping has a mode split of 31% by non-car
modes. In the longer term, the Transport Study assumes a 45% non-car mode split
for Epping. This assumption is reflective of significant increased public
transport investment and changing travel behaviours, as well as increased
densities surrounding the Epping railway station.
To achieve the
targeted modal split, the Transport Study recognises the need to change travel
demand patterns and therefore recommends the following travel demand management
measures:
1. A car share scheme should be introduced with support from HSC and
PCC covering the Epping Town Centre.
2. An Active Transport Strategy is developed by HSC and PCC covering
the Epping Town Centre in a consistent way that also accords with each
Council's respective LGA.
3. Green Travel Plans should be required to be paid for by developers
within the Epping Town Centre.
4. Best Practice Land Use Planning principles should be followed to
ensure Active Transport Networks are supported and highest densities are sited
adjacent to public transport.
5. HSC and PCC should support measures to remove existing on-street
public transport bottlenecks.
6. HSC should immediately move towards PCC's more restrictive car
parking standards and increased minimum bicycle parking requirements within the
Epping Town Centre.
7. PCC should continue to develop restrictive parking standards based
on PTAL specific to the Epping Town Centre and HSC should also adopt these in
the longer term; and
8. HSC & PCC should support on-road public transport schemes that
provide priority over general traffic.
It is recommended
that Council further investigate the suitability of these recommendations to
potentially inform new controls within Council’s Development Control Plan or
other codes and polices.
As part of the
traffic modelling undertaken, the capacity of the
The study claims
that any intersection improvements at
In relation to this
intersection the traffic model highlights that in the short term development
scenario if no traffic upgrade works were undertaken, then the AM peak average
traffic delays in Rawson Street would increase from 47 seconds to 63 seconds,
with the PM peak delay being unchanged at 28 seconds. However if the
recommended short term traffic upgrades are undertaken, the AM and PM peak
delays would both reduce to 25 seconds in the AM peak and 24 seconds in the PM peak
by 2016. By 2026, the traffic model suggests that these delays would begin to
increase to 28 seconds in the AM peak and 27 seconds in the PM peak, but would
still be lower than the existing delays.
In regards to the
right turn from
The increased
residential densities in
It is recommended
that Council further investigate the traffic modelling provided for
Commuter Car
Parking
The Transport Study
reviewed the impact of commuter car parking on the Epping Town Centre and found
that there is high demand for commuter parking on local streets, and that
demand is generated equally by people from within the station catchment and
outside. 95% of all unrestricted parking spaces within 800m of the railway
station are used for long term parking by commuters. However, the study
suggests that the implementation of the Parramatta Epping Rail Link is likely
to see only minor increases in commuter parking demand, while the
implementation of the North West Rail Link will likely see a reduction in
demand for commuter parking at Epping Station as commuters are likely to access
new railway stations. Accordingly, the study does not recommend the
construction of any formal commuter car parking area within Epping.
Parking Standards
The Transport Study
recommends that parking rates be reviewed across the study area in the short
term (next 5 years) as a means to assist the change in modal split towards the
targeted 45% of non-car trips. Furthermore, the Economic Feasibility Analysis
undertaken as part of the study identified that current parking controls
prescribed by Council, may reduce development feasibility and therefore also recommends
a review of the parking rates within the study area. This is discussed further
below under the heading Economic
Feasibility.
INFRASTRUCTURE
FUNDING
Road works
As discussed under
the heading Traffic and Parking, the
study identifies the need for traffic, cycling and pedestrian upgrades that are
required to facilitate any increased densities within the Epping Town Centre. A
high level costing exercise was undertaken by the consultant team and the value
of the required works is estimated at $16.6 million (excluding land
acquisition). It is emphasised that these estimates are preliminary only and
further site investigation and surveys would be required for a more accurate
cost schedule.
The Halcrow
Transport Study states that all of the required traffic upgrades would need to
be implemented simultaneously, rather than on a staged basis. The reason for
this is that due to the relative close proximity of the intersections,
implementation of one improvement will only redirect/exacerbate the bottleneck to
the unimproved intersection further ‘downstream’. A possible implementation
programme is suggested by Halcrow in the event that all works cannot be
delivered simultaneously.
Prior to any works
programme being finalised, agreement of the RTA would be required as the identified
works are located predominantly over RTA controlled roads. Furthermore, any
amendments to the railway over bridge will require the agreement of the Railcorp
as the owners of the stratum (air space) over the railway corridor.
While the study
identifies the need for these works, it does not adequately address how these
works will be funded, nor whether these works will be agreed to by State
agencies including the RTA. The study suggests that the RTA should fund those
improvements that improve through traffic movements on State controlled roads
through their works programme. However, the study also implies that these works
could be funded under the development contributions regime, specifically
recommending development contributions collected under s94 of the Environmental
Planning and Assessment Act as a funding source.
While s94 development
contributions can in principle be collected and used to undertake road
improvement, the underlying basis for those contributions is that there is a
direct relationship between new development and additional demand for service,
which is termed ‘nexus’.
Given that many of
the existing bottlenecks and suggested intersection upgrades are already at or
near capacity, it is likely to be difficult to demonstrate the direct
correlation between the demand for the road improvements and the new
development, particularly given the high proportion (up to 89% of through
traffic). Furthermore, the expected increase in background traffic growth
between 2016 and 2026 is suggested to be the primary cause of further failure of
the short term traffic improvements and therefore this further suggests that
nexus is somewhat questionable.
Should a reasonable argument
for nexus be demonstrated, S94 development contributions can only pay for the
portion of demand generated by new users, which is termed ‘apportionment’.
Given the existing and predicted high volumes of through traffic within the
study area, apportionment is likely to be low and the remaining proportion of
the cost of works would need to be funded by other means.
While S94A development
contributions (such as Parramatta Council’s current plan) do not rely upon the
same nexus and apportionment tests, a S94A contribution is still required to be
reasonable and delivery of works should also be within a reasonable time.
While the short term
works are needed to facilitate growth in Epping, it is demonstrated that
background traffic increases would reduce the efficiency of these improvements
between 2016 and 2026; therefore levying the cost of these works entirely upon
new development in the Epping Town Centre would be unreasonable. Furthermore,
the study advises that all the short term works would need to be delivered in
their entirety by 2020, which may be difficult for both Councils to collect
enough contributions in that time period to deliver the works.
The delivery of the
traffic upgrades is considered to be a significant issue in relation to the
delivery of growth in the Epping Town Centre. As it will be difficult for
either PCC or HSC to be in financial position to deliver these works within a
reasonable time and furthermore, the imposition of the cost of these works
entirely upon new development is considered unreasonable.
It is suggested that
high level discussions will need to be undertaken with senior managers from
relevant planning infrastructure bodies including DOPI, Infrastructure NSW, the
RTA, Railcorp and both Councils to establish the best way forward in delivering
both short and long term infrastructure improvements for the Epping Town Centre
and the broader road network.
Public Domain
Improvements, Community Facilities Open Space, Laneways
In addition to the
traffic upgrades required, any new development within the town centre will
generate demand for improvements or enhancements to existing services including
new or improved open spaces and facilities, new or improved community
facilities, upgrades to the public domain including footpath upgrades,
landscaping, improved pedestrian and cycling links throughout the centre, and
the like. Much of this can be funded through the development contributions
regime where it is primarily the result of new development.
As the Rawson Street
Car Park is identified for potential redevelopment to include a basement car
park, town square and community facilities, this could be funded through
development contributions, or alternatively all or part could be delivered
through the means of a development agreement or planning agreement and would be
subject to future negotiation.
BUILT FORM &
URBAN DESIGN
As detailed above,
the study recommends the provision of a high density mixed use centre, with a
series of tower buildings of 20-22 storeys along
The high rise development in the town centre is intended to take
the form of slim line towers over low (2- 3 storey) podiums, with towers
oriented east west (with the short face to
In considering the
future built form of Epping, the study considered existing street block
patterns, existing views and vistas, existing built form and streetscape patterns,
topography, and the relationship between tall buildings and topography. The study
recommends the proposed building height and form as being suitable on the
following basis:
There are a number of benefits to taller
building forms, when combined with low scale street podiums that will be achieved
in the Town Centre. These benefits include:
· Improved residential amenity -
taller buildings allow apartments to achieve better views, solar access and
daylight, particularly as taller buildings require greater building separation
(24m when buildings are greater than 25m in height). Taller buildings in Epping
will also raise the majority of apartments above noise sources (road and rail).
Further improving residential amenity;
· Greater intensification within a smaller
urban footprint – the taller building heights provide greater
floor space potential on sites and therefore limit the land area required for
significant redevelopment in the Town Centre Core. If building heights were
reduced, additional land would be required to accommodate a similar amount of
floor space;
· Redistributing building bulk upwards -
combined with low podiums (i.e. 2 storeys), taller buildings enable a greater
sense of openness at street level with better opportunities for more daylight
and sunlight between buildings at street level;
· More residents using local services -
taller buildings will introduce more residents into the Epping Town Centre
Core. Locating taller buildings on retail podiums will provide the opportunity
for improved retail services in the Town Centre Core and introduce more people
into the Town Centre Core during off-peak times (nights and weekends),
improving vibrancy and patronage in shops and restaurants;
· New housing choice not provided in Epping -
there is a small number of apartment buildings in the Epping Town Centre, and
the taller buildings will provide a new style of high rise living that is
currently not available to Epping residents; and
· Enhancing the skyline -
taller buildings will help create a stronger visual identify for the Town
Centre Core. Epping is located at a high point in the region and the taller
buildings will provide a visual marker for the Town Centre.
The study provides a
comparison of proposed heights with other Sydney Centres including nearby
Carlingford, Eastwood, Hornsby, Macquarie Park, West Ryde (and others see Table
10 of study) and concludes that ‘building
heights up to 22 storeys in Epping are not out of context for a suburban centre
and is similar to other centres with such high levels of accessibility to
public transport facilities.’
Furthermore, the
study reviewed the likely built form outcomes based upon controls within draft
Parramatta LEP 2011 in comparison to those proposed in the study for the block
bound by
The block bounded by
The draft planning controls [Draft Parramatta LEP 2011] for this block envisage generally 6-9
storeys built close to the street edge along the full length of the street
block, in order to accommodate the floor space proposed for the block (Figure
35) [of the study]. Whilst this
height is more consistent with the Genesis building, this form is considered undesirable
for the following reasons:
· residential amenity -
the apartments fronting Beecroft Road will have a low level of amenity looking
out over Beecroft Road and the railway line without the benefit of district
views;
· streetscape amenity -
the mid rise wall of buildings will visually dominate the streetscape and limit
the amount of solar access and daylight to the street; and
· under utilisation of land -
this key site is adjacent to the rail station and the draft controls do not
fully realise the potential of the block.
Figure 35 (see Section 5.5 of study) provides an indicative elevation
of the Beecroft Road Streetscape under the draft Parramatta LEP 2011 in
comparison to the recommended controls under the study.
Furthermore, it is
noted that provision of high density development within the core area provides
opportunity for provision of substantial housing growth and choice without
impacting upon the surrounding residential area which are heavily constrained by
heritage.
Similarly, the
economic feasibility of redevelopment is somewhat aligned to the height and
density permitted, and this is discussed further below under the heading Economic Feasibility.
Should Council
resolve to exhibit the study, it is recommended that a further review of the
Urban Design elements of the study be undertaken by Council in conjunction with
consideration of the public consultation comments with a view to informing both
LEP controls (height and FSR) as well as DCP controls relating to building envelopes
and setbacks, articulation, interface with surrounding public domain and
adjoining buildings.
It must also be
noted that any future redevelopment of these sites where residential
development is proposed would be required to have regard to SEPP 65 and be
reviewed by the Design Review Panel in respect of privacy, solar access, building
separation and the like.
The existing Council
owned car park in
· locate existing at-grade car parking below
ground with no less than the existing 165 car spaces provided;
· investigate the potential for direct
vehicular access and egress to Carlingford Road (via the rear of the Coles
site);
· provide clear sightlines and pedestrian/cycle
links between Rawson Street and Boronia Park;
· incorporate active retail uses at ground
level with community, residential and/or commercial uses above;
· incorporate a regular shaped public space [Town Square] (approximately 3,000sqm) positioned to receive an appropriate level of
solar access with opportunities for outdoor eating, meeting places, public art
etc; and
· integrate the Town Square with Boronia Forest.
This site has previously
been earmarked for redevelopment, including a new town square, in the Epping
Commercial Centre Masterplan prepared in 1999, again in the Public Domain Plan
prepared by UDAS in 2003 and more recently, the Urban Design Study prepared on
behalf of Council in 2006 to inform the draft Parramatta LEP and DCP.
As part of the draft
Parramatta LEP, height and floor space ratio for the
Although Council had
previously resolved not to adopt controls for this site, the study brief was to
review the town centre in its entirety, and therefore recommendations were
required to be made regarding this site. However, it is also noted that the
study does recommend further master planning of the site to determine the type
and form of future development and to inform future DCP controls.
As a means to
undertake the additional review of future redevelopment of the site, should
Council endorse exhibition of the study, Council would undertake an in
principle review of the study recommendations and any public submission received
in relation to the Rawson Street Car Park site with a view to informing any
future planning (LEP and DCP) controls recommended for the site. Should this
review differ to the study, these controls would be put to Council for
consideration as part of a future Planning Proposal to incorporate revised
planning controls for Epping as an amendment to the Parramatta LEP.
ECONOMIC
FEASIBILITY
As part of the study
an Economic Assessment was undertaken by Hill PDA. This involved the review of
the demand for retail and commercial floor space for the Epping Town Centre
over the next 25 years; and feasibility assessment of indicative planning
controls across the study area.
The forecast demand
for retail space found that there is room for further expansion in retail
growth due to both population growth and real growth in retail spend per capita
and that this should be shared on both sides of the rail way line. The B2 Local
Centre zoning proposed by the study will enable additional retail growth across
the centre.
With regard to
economic feasibility, there has historically been an argument from property
owners and the development sector that the current planning controls within the
Epping Town Centre do not allow for feasible redevelopment to occur. In respect
of the Parramatta LGA portion of the study area, Hill PDA was asked to review
planning controls proposed by the study for a number of sites between
1. 56A – 72 Rawson Street & 56-77 Beecroft Road (Site 1);
2. 3 - 9 Bridge Street (Site 2A); and
3. 33 - 38 Beecroft Road (Site 2B).
Hill PDA were
requested to test the indicative planning controls of the study to determine
feasibility and to make recommendations to controls that would improve economic
feasibility toward the recognised development margin of 20%. Further, the study
was to include discussion regarding the parameters that may affect feasibility.
As part of the
feasibility assessment a market analysis of recent land and unit sales prices
was undertaken, and a number of assumptions were made with respect to
construction timing and costs, other costs, fees, charges and contingencies. It
must be noted that even where land is predominantly in single ownership, the
feasibility assumes all land at market value.
With regard to Site
1, the economic feasibility suggested that the controls tested (mixed use
development, 18 storeys, 5.5:1) achieved a development margin of 10.4%, below
the target level of 20% and were therefore unfeasible. Hill PDA suggested that
the floor space ratio for this site be increased from 5.5:1 to 6:1 (an
additional 2800sqm) to improve the development margin to 19.6%, which is
generally considered feasible. The draft study controls were amended to
increase the height and density on the sites along
During the preparation
of the study, the Epping Property Owners Group provided an informal submission
to the Working Group seeking development of up to 28 storeys within the town
centre. Based on this submission, a second scenario was modelled on Site 1 modelling
a 28 storey mixed use development with FSR of 8.5:1. The economic feasibly for
this scenario was 34.97%, substantially higher than the recognised 20% margin.
Subsequently, each
scenario for Site 1 was remodelled with a reduced parking requirement for
retail and commercial development and this was found to further improve
economic feasibility. As a result, Hill PDA recommends that Council consider a future
review of parking controls within the Epping Town Centre.
With regard to Sites
2A and 2B a number of scenarios were modelled (Site 2A: 8 storey mixed use
development 3.5-4.5:1) and (Site 2B: 8 storey mixed use development 3.5:1).
Modelling suggested that each development scenario would return a loss. A
number of further scenarios were modelled on each site, reducing commercial
components and reducing car parking, however these development scenarios were
still found to be unviable. A fourth option was modelled for each site
requiring an increase of FSR to 5:1 on Site 2A and to 6.4:1 on Site 2B to
achieve the desired 20% margin. While the increased FSR would be seen to make
the development viable, the JBA study concludes that ‘the additional FSR and height on this site is not supported by the
urban design analysis undertaken as part of this study.’
The reasoning behind
not increasing the FSR (and subsequently height) at this location is because additional
height in this location is not considered suitable as these sites are located
at a topographical high point in the town centre; are directly opposite a draft
heritage item in Bridge Street; and heights in this section of the study area
need to transition down toward the low density residential area located south
of Bridge Street.
The Economic
Assessment concludes that there are a number of variables that affect
development feasibility including land
and property value, development density (FSR), development site amalgamation
and the proposed development mix (retail, commercial, residential). It is also
suggested that that the construction cost of basement car parking somewhat
hinders the viability of economic development, and that each Council should
consider a review of parking controls in the centre. It is suggested that
Council review the parking controls for Epping Town Centre, particularly with
regard to retail and commercial development.
Furthermore, it is
noted that the feasibility has not had regard to existing site amalgamations and
assumes all land needs to be amalgamated at market rates (and this is not
necessarily true of all existing development sites). Furthermore, the JBA report
suggests that recent land sales may have been artificially inflated in
speculation of the outcomes of the joint planning study, and that the market
will readjust land prices once amended planning controls are formalised. As
these recent sale prices were used in the feasibility assessment, this may have
also had the affect of inflating the acquisition costs.
It is recommended
that Council consider reviewing the feasibility of a number of other sites
within the town centre area prior to progressing changes to planning controls.
However, it must be noted that economic feasibility assessments can only be
used as a guide as they are based on certain assumptions at a particular point
in time and are not likely to mirror the actual circumstances of the eventual redevelopment
of that site. Ultimately the cost of land acquisition will become a key factor
towards achieving feasibility. By simply increasing height and FSR over a site,
it could be argued that this actually inflates the cost of acquiring that land
as the land owner would have the expectation of achieving a superior
development outcome on the site and would want appropriate ‘compensation’ for
that outcome.
HERITAGE
The
study recommends the adoption of the draft heritage items and heritage
conservation areas that Council had previously resolved in July 2008. This
includes the extension of the Epping/Eastwood Heritage Conservation Area,
creation of the Boronia Avenue Heritage Conservation Area, and addition of new
heritage items at
These
changes are not able to be implemented on their own, and will need to form part
of an amended planning proposal for the study area including proposed change to
Council’s LEP controls in the comprehensive Parramatta LEP including zoning,
height and floor space ratio. These amended controls will need to be separately
adopted by Council and will also be the subject of further public exhibition
before final implementation.
STATUS OF THE STUDY
As stated above, PCC
along with HSC entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with DOPI to prepare
a joint planning study for the Epping Town Centre.
The intention of the
study was that it would help inform a Planning
Proposal to amend Council’s comprehensive Parramatta LEP including zoning,
height and floor space ratios
and heritage. A Planning Proposal would need to be separately endorsed by
Council and be the subject of its own public exhibition, before any changes are
made to the Parramatta LEP and/or DCP.
The study itself has
no legal weight and whilst its recommendations may not be ultimately adopted by
Council in such a Planning Proposal, the study itself does not need to be specifically
endorsed by Council. The study is a comprehensive analysis of the Epping Town
Centre, which provides a platform for seeking public comment.
PUBLIC EXHIBITION OF JOINT PLANNING STUDY
This report
recommends that Council authorise the public exhibition of the Joint Epping
Planning Study. The public exhibition of the Joint Epping Town Centre Study is
intended to be undertaken in partnership with HSC for a period of 8 weeks,
commencing in late August 2011.
FUTURE STEPS
Should Council
endorse public exhibition of the study, this would be undertaken between August
and October 2011. Following the exhibition, a further report will be put to
Council detailing any submissions received and considering a draft Planning
Proposal to amend Council’s LEP controls, and potential draft changes to
Council’s DCP controls.
Staff review of the
study is also recommended to be undertaken to further inform changes to
Council’s planning controls. This may also benefit from analysis of the
submissions received.
Once Council has
adopted a Planning Proposal for amendment of the planning controls in the
Epping study area, it would be sent to the Department of Planning for ‘Gateway’
determination.
Once ‘Gateway’
determination is approved by the Department, a further public exhibition of the
draft planning control amendments is required to be undertaken for a minimum
period of 28 days. This will most likely occur sometime in 2012.