Urban Taskforce Weighs In On Ingleside Density

The proposed new suburb on Sydney's Northern Beaches will help provide additional housing supply, but lacks tall buildings, particularly in the town centre says the Urban Taskforce.

“The new suburb of Ingleside on the Northern Beaches with its 3,400 new homes is a welcome addition to Sydney’s housing supply,” says Urban Taskforce CEO Chris Johnson, “But the Urban Taskforce is concerned that there appear to be no buildings higher than 3 storeys.

“New town centres in Western Sydney, like Oran Park, have heights of 6 and 8 storeys in their town centres to provide a diversity of housing types. It is important that all parts of Sydney pull their weight in terms of providing new housing as Sydney’s population grows. The government must get the right density and height upfront as it is very hard to change the built form after it is constructed.

“The general approach to a green, environmentally sensitive, suburb can lead to excellent life styles and we understand that sensitive land like that at Ingleside will need to be managed carefully. This can still be done with taller buildings as this can limit the spread of dwellings across the landscape.”

The Ingleside strategy will include a component of 5-10% affordable housing however the documents have not provided information on how a proposed target will be calculated.

The requirement to provide affordable housing will increase the costs of developing this site, and it is essential that these additional costs do not deter developers and investors from developing and investing in Ingleside, the Urban Taskforce said.

Draft plans were unveiled last week by NSW Planning Minister Rob Stokes for the precinct on the Northern Beaches that reveals an environmentally sustainable suburb located ten minutes’ drive to the beach.

Under the draft plan, up to 3,400 new houses and terraces will be built with around 15 hectares of open space.

About a third of the land at Ingleside is proposed for conservation, while around a third is proposed for new homes.

The draft plan is a partnership between the NSW Government, the local council and UrbanGrowth NSW.

The community is encouraged to have its say on the draft plans. Community feedback will be used towards the final plans, which will be released in coming months.

The draft plan is on public exhibition until February 28, 2017, and can be viewed at www.planning.nsw.gov.au/ingleside