Redevelopment of Epping West Public School

I would like to make the following comments:
My wife and I have lived at our address for the past 47 years. Both of our daughters attended Epping West Public School. Our eldest daughter was an Honorary Ranger, while our youngest daughter was School Captain.
I would like to make the following comments:
1. Our eldest daughter was an Honorary Ranger. In 1993 she set up a project in conjunction with Hornsby Shire Council and Taronga Zoo involving tree planting as food for koalas. The trees were planted in area 12 of your landscape plan. The Trees for Koalas project was undertaken in February 1993. The school should have a record and photos of the event. I note that this event has not been documented in your assessment reports. I also note that trees in this area are to be retained.
2. While I acknowledge that vehicle parking is of more concern in streets, such as Ward Street and Lilli Pilli Street, afternoon parking is also an issue in Duntroon Avenue. Of an afternoon, with cars parked on either side of Duntroon Avenue and on either side of our driveway, it is very dangerous for us to safely reverse out of our driveway. We now have to avoid driving in and out of our driveway in the afternoon. Illegal parking occurs quite often in Duntroon Avenue, especially at Dent Street. Our concern will be further exasperated during building work due the further lack of parking in the vicinity of the school. This parking issue has increased with the increase in enrolment at the school, from 600 in the late 1990s to 1200 now! I note that parking considerations in the vicinity of the school does not include any discussion on parking issues in Downing Street, Dent Street or Duntroon Avenue!
Rod Cook

see attached letter

Heritage NSW ACH comments attached.

The proposed Buildings S & T have bulk and scale impacts on neighbouring properties (refer EIS Report page 30).
Building T setback should change from the currently proposed design of 5370mm to 7000mm. This is in line with the current demountable classroom building. It is inappropriate to have a building that is six times larger than the existing demountable building with a reduced setback.
Building S’s homebase wing setback should change from the currently proposed design of 8000mm to 10000mm. For a building that exceeds the 8.5m building height control limit by an additional 4-5m there should be an increased 2000mm setback to reduce visual impact.
[Refer attached markup drawing EPPW-SSDA-011-B for setback comment]

Please find attached EES response

Please see attached Council comments on the Epping West Public School alterations and additions.

For years the Parramatta Light Rail (PLR) FAQ has said: "Investigations to date have identified Carlingford to Epping as a future dedicated public transport corridor, and light rail as a potential transport mode will be considered as part of any future planning in this area."

Recently "future planning" has commenced for Epping South and Epping West Public schools' construction and expansion. By being added to background peak hour private transport commuting, driving school children to school is a major and growing contributor to peak hour traffic congestion in an area already heavily impacted by it. These two school sites are 900 metres walking distance apart along quiet suburban streets. Both schools should be serviced by a light rail stop equidistant between them. An overhead pedestrian crossing already exists in Carlingford Road servicing Epping West. Apart from Carlingford Road, there are no other busy roads in the path to Epping South.

So far the only "solution" to creating a transport link between Carlingford and Epping is a cycle path under construction. Buses are already heavily patronised. The topography between these two rapidly growing residential areas and heavy traffic on Carlingford Road preclude bicycles as a realistic way to transport students to school.

Extending PLR to Epping along a slightly adjusted route to the one originally proposed for the Parramatta to Chatswood railway https://cutt.ly/SnH2830 would connect Carlingford station to the heavy rail and metro network at Epping thereby attracting additional custom to PLR, the T9, Central Coast and metro lines in both directions. Such an extension would terminate near Epping station. Consequently the line could be moved further south at the point shown on the map. Such a stop would also give the community access to the improved recreation facilities and West Epping Park for residents in high rise apartments near Carlingford and Epping stations.

The Statement of Environment Effects says an additional 8,900 dwellings are expected in Epping over the next 20 years and "All new dwellings are expected to be high-density dwellings." (page 8) There is vacant land in Carlingford and new apartments are under construction in Epping east of the railway line. The bridge over the line at Epping and the nearby Beecroft/Carlingford Road Rawson Street intersections are longstanding major bottlenecks.

Too often planning proposals are considered in isolation from nearby proposals. Epping West and South are becoming part of an educational hub in West Epping. Mobbs Lane has been developed already; the new developments are taking place at some distance from this hub. It is misleading to claim reductions in traffic to part of the hub without considering the other part of the hub. These proposals taken together are increasing the number of students coming to the area because new residential developments are happening elsewhere.

In short: planning for schools has lagged behind the need for them. The same should not happen when it comes to planning for movement within the schools' catchments. The right to education must include dealing with issues relating to accessing the place where the education takes place, namely the schools themselves.

Please see submission from the Epping Civic Trust attached

No comment response supplied

See attached.