It is resolved that:
(A) Council approve the Planning Proposal – Oxford Street Creative and Cultural Precinct, shown at Attachment A to the subject report, for submission to the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment with a request for a Gateway Determination;
(B) Council approve the Planning Proposal – Oxford Street Creative and Cultural Precinct, shown at Attachment A to the subject report for public authority consultation and public exhibition in accordance with any conditions imposed under the Gateway Determination;
(C) Council seek authority from the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to exercise the delegation of all functions under the relevant local plan making authority under Section 3.36 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to make the local environmental plan and put into effect the Planning Proposal – Oxford Street Creative and Cultural Precinct;
(D) Council
approve the draft Development Control Plan – Oxford Street Creative and
Cultural Precinct, shown at Attachment B to the subject report for public
authority consultation and public exhibition together with the Planning
Proposal subject to the following amendments (additons shown in bold
italics, deletions shown in strikethrough:
(i) insert after 5.X.2 the following text:
5.X.3
Built form and high quality design on Taylor Square and other public spaces on
Oxford Street
Taylor
Square is an important public place, and is historically, visually and
physically connected to the Darlinghurst Courthouse and former Darlinghurst
Police Station across Oxford Street to the north. It is a complex public space
extending from the courthouse buildings across Oxford Street, edged by heritage
buildings on Flinders, Campbell, Bourke and Oxford Streets, and the Rainbow
Crossing. The angle at which Oxford Street bisects the grid creates a number of
triangular or irregular shaped sites and public spaces at Oxford Square,
Whitlam Square, Three Saints Square and Taylor Square. New buildings and
additions to heritage buildings in these spaces must provide strong visual and
physical edges to the public space through high-quality architecture and
construction. Their architectural expression must complement the historical
context and allow opportunities for contemporary design. Buildings must
strongly define and enhance the quality of the space and provide opportunities
for ground level activation.
Objectives
(a) Establish
an appropriate scale, massing and modulation for new development facing onto
the public spaces listed at (i) – (iv) below, which frame, respect and respond
to the place, architectural character, rhythm and grain of the existing fabric
of the high street.
(i)
Taylor Square
(ii)
Oxford Square
(iii)
Whitlam Square
(iv)
Three Saints Square – corner of Oxford
Street, Barcom Street and Victoria Street.
(b) Achieve
a street wall height that reinforces the scale and framing of the public spaces
listed in (a) and protect the view corridor along Oxford Street towards Hyde
Park and the city skyline.
Provisions
(1) Development
is to reinforce the significant view corridor along Oxford Street and views to
buildings framing Taylor Square and street intersections and define corner
sites through appropriate massing and façade design.
(2) Despite
any other provision of the DCP, a reduced upper level setback, which may result
in a nil upper level setback on heritage listed and contributory buildings
facing Taylor Square, Oxford Square, Whitlam Square, and Three Saints Square
may be considered where the Consent Authority is satisfied that the design
outcome will be of the highest standard in the following areas:
(a) the
relationship between the architectural language of the existing building and
the addition, which is to enhance and emphasise the qualities of both the
existing and new parts of the building; and
(b) the
design and construction quality of the facades, including exposed side walls
and expression of the roof.
(ii) amend including any consequential renumbering, subsection 5.X.4.3 Building alignment, setbacks and street frontage heights, to read as follows:
(1) Street
frontage heights are not to exceed the maximum height on the Street Frontage
Height maps. Above the street all, additional storeys on heritage listed and
contributory buildings are to be set back a minimum of 3 metres (Figure 5).
Note that the maximum number of storeys shown on Map XX: Height in storeys
includes attics and mazzanines.
(2) A
greater minimum setback than that detailed in 5.X.4.3(1) may be required if
identified as part of a Conservation Management Plan or Statement of Heritage
Principles.
(3) A
reduced setback, which may include a nil setback on heritage listed and
contributory buildings facing the squares referred to in 5.X.3, noted in
Objectives (a) may only be considered where the Consent Authority is
satisfied that the design outcome will be of the highest standard in the
following areas:
(a) The
relationship between the architectural language of the existing building and
the addition, which is to be complementary and enhance and emphasise the
qualities of both the existing and new parts of the building; and
(b) The
design and construction quality of the facades, including exposed side walls
and expression of the roof; and
(c) the
sustainability of the development.
(E) authority be delegated to the Chief Executive Officer to make any minor variations to Planning Proposal – Oxford Street Creative and Cultural Precinct and draft Development Control Plan – Oxford Street Creative and Cultural Precinct, to correct any drafting errors or to ensure consistency with any Gateway Determination; and
(F) the Chief Executive Officer be requested to:
(i) prepare further options for increased scale of buildings for sites south of Oxford Street along Flinders Street and facing Taylor Square within the study boundary to:
(a) integrate any forthcoming urban ideas from the Sustainable Sydney 2050 project; and
(b) consider issues raised by Councillors and speakers about the design of the built form and its relationship to public space at the Transport, Heritage and Planning Committee on 10 May 2021;
(ii) seek public feedback on those options alongside the public exhibition of the Oxford Street cultural and creative precinct planning proposal and draft DCP; and
(iii) report the options and feedback to Council and the Central Sydney Planning Committee with any recommended amendments to the proposed planning controls.
Carried unanimously.
X026153