Hercules St development site

Hercules St industrial site redevelopment proposal

In late 2019, Inner West Council exhibited plans to redevelop the Hercules St industrial site, into a high-density residential precinct.

The proposal is seeking to rezone the site from industrial to residential and to allow residential towers up to nine storeys to be constructed.

These plans are something of a hangover from the former Sydenham to Bankstown Urban Renewal Strategy, which designated the site for eight-storey development.

Save Dully has had ongoing concerns about these plans, including:

Excessive level of development in a low-density area
Shadowing and privacy impacts on Dulwich Hill public school
Lack of ongoing heritage protection for the Greek church on the site.

Read our submission to the council on this planning proposal and see the council website.

PHOTOS OF WHAT IS PROPOSED

Potential shadow impacts on school at 2pm (produced by Save Dully)

Before and after (after artist's impression taken from developer material)

Shadow diagrams (from developer material)

Artist's impression of site (from corner of Hercules and Kintore St)

If the rezoning proposal is approved, a development application could be lodged seeking approval to begin construction of buildings to this height. Once the height limit is set via the rezoning proposal, it is unlikely the community could defeat the proposal at the development application stage.

CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS: 466-480 NEW CANTERBURY RD AND 26-38 HERCULES ST, DULWICH HILL

October 2015: Site developer (Angus Developments) first approaches the then Marrickville Council about this proposal. This was shortly after the NSW Government released the Sydenham to Bankstown Corridor Strategy, which designated this site for eight-storey development.

Secret discussions begin to take place between council staff and the developer, however the developer is unable to advance the proposal because the NSW Department of Planning and Environment said the strategy was to be re-exhibited.

December 2015: Marrickville Council’s submission to the draft strategy recommends “a maximum height of 5-6 storeys around Dulwich Grove light rail stop”. This site is directly adjacent to the light rail stop.

June 2017: Revised Sydenham to Bankstown Strategy exhibited. Site again designated for eight-storey development, however a new “transition edge” added to the site – indicating an understanding from the Department of Planning and Environment of the need to scale down the development near the school.

July 2017: Item was reported to Inner West Council (at the final meeting of the council’s administrator Richard Pearson). The council report is available here.

Following speeches from a number of community members, Mr Pearson decided to defer consideration of this proposal, until the final Sydenham to Bankstown Strategy was adopted. Video of the meeting is available here.

In making this decision, Mr Pearson told the council meeting: “There are some locational issues in terms of the school and church and low-density residential areas which need to be considered”.

October 2017: Developer uses the NSW Government’s rezoning review process to appeal to the Sydney Eastern City Planning Panel. The panel, which includes two Inner West councillors (Sam Iskandar and Victor Macri), supports the proposal going on exhibition.

November 2017: Inner West Council elects to be the exhibiting authority for the proposal, as against allowing the NSW Government to exhibit the proposal. However, at the same time, the council expresses concerns about the height of the development.

April 2018: Site put up for sale, with real estate ads saying nine storeys can be achieved on the site. Artist’s impressions of future development released.

November 2019: Inner West Council places the proposal on public exhibition

This web page was last updated on 25 November 2019