Penrith Council has bowed to residents’ concerns about land zoning for high density housing in the Glossop Street Precinct.
In the draft Local Environmental Plan, it was proposed that high density units would be allowed on both the eastern and western sides of Glossop Street, and along the northern and southern sides of Chapel Street.
However, Penrith Councillor Jackie Greenow and her colleagues voted unanimously to reduce the area to be assigned high density after an unprecedented number of submissions were made about the Glossop Street Precinct Local Environmental Plan.
569 submissions against the original proposal were recorded during the community consultation period.
“They put forward some good arguments about how high density homes would overshadow other homes in the area and we listened,” Cr Greenow said.
“One of the problems was that the boundaries fall on the edge of people’s backyards, so they would lose their privacy.”
High density along the southern side of Chapel Street would overshadow those homes in Stapleton Parade and Brock Avenue, whilst housing along the eastern side of Glossop Street would impact on homes along Australia Street.
Overall, the Glossop Street precinct will triple the existing housing density of the area so that more people can live close to the St Marys Town Centre and railway station.
“If the re-zoning stopped at the western side of Glossop Street, this would reduce the effects of overlooking, overshadowing and recognised traffic problems on Glossop Street,” said one concerned resident.
Councillors unanimously voted to use the Chapel and Glossop Streets as boundaries for the high density to stop these adverse impacts.
Cr Jackie Greenow said it was a good compromise for the residents.
“The State Government is telling us that we need to look at opportunities to have higher density housing in town centres like St Marys, but it is important that we address residents concerns,” she said.
