Residential Development with In-Fill Affordable Housing at 2-8 Highgate Road, Lindfield

I would like to express my strong objections to the proposed development on 2 – 8 Highgate, Lindfield (SSD-78493518).

Traffic Congestion
The site is currently zoned for R2 Low Density Residential despite its proximity to the Lindfield Train Station because any high density development on the site will simply cripple the traffic on the East side of Lindfield. The only way for Lindfield residents travelling north to get onto the Pacific Highway is via Havilah Rd where the train tunnel is located. North bound traffic on Lindfield Ave, South bound traffic on Lindfield Ave, traffic from Havilah Rd and Woodside Ave all converge on Havilah Rd in order to get onto the Pacific Highway. This has been a long-standing traffic issue at Lindfield which has no solution to relief the pressure to date.
The Traffic and Parking Assessment Report paints an over-simplistic view of the potential impact of adding hundreds of cars on the road as the result of the development. The entire analysis is based on a one-day survey which does not provide much statistically credibility. As a long-time local resident who drives through Woodside Ave at peak hour time daily, what was described in the report was not a true representation of the traffic condition. During peak hour time, traffic at the roundabout comes to a stand-still due to the sheer number of cars coming from 4 directions as well as the wait time required for traffic light to turn and allow a handful of vehicles to get onto the pacific highway. Contrary to the conclusion stated in the Report, the developments at Woodside and Highgate combined will mean that residents of these buildings will have difficulty getting in and out of the buildings themselves. Because the traffic is interlocked at the roundabout, no emergency vehicles will be able to get through when there is an emergency during peak hour time. I would urge the Assessors of this SSDA to cross reference the real extend of the traffic condition with Ku-Ring-Gai Council as the traffic condition is so severe that Council is now conducting another investigation into the issue.
TfNSW Guide to Transport Impact Assessment guidelines were used in the Report to predict traffic impact. However, as noted in the report, these are generic measures which in reality, are completely inapplicable to Lindfield. The demographic of Lindfield is such that older residents who are looking to downsize will sell their houses and opt for apartment living. This is the age group where health and mobility issues are a key concern and catching public transport is simply out of the question. Therefore, most elderly residents rely on cars as means of transport. In addition, as both the Woodside and Highgate developments have a high portion of three-bedroom apartments, one would assume the residents will likely be families. Hence, the number of cars per apartment is being grossly underestimated.

Flood Management
In the Middle Harbour Southern Catchments Study 2023 commissioned by Ku-Ring-Gai Council, Woodside Ave was identified as a hot spot where inadequate capacity leads to widespread nuisance flooding throughout the catchment. The study also found that “Overland flow down Lindfield Avenue passes through properties downstream of Woodside Avenue, across the Havilah Road sag through properties on Milray Street and into the open channel.” Extensive residential developments on Havilah Rd had lead to worsened flood conditions on Lightcliff Ave. The flow on effect of large-scale residential development on Woodside Ave will cause further negative impact as far as flooding is concerned. The mitigation strategies suggested in the Water Management are not sufficient as Ku-Ring-Gai simply does not have adequate stormwater infrastructure.

Bulk and Scale
Once built, It will be the furthest from Lindfield Station along Lindfield Ave and yet at least 2-3 storeys taller than all the other apartments. This completely goes against best practice town planning and design principles whereby the highest point of development should be the closest to the town centre/train station then gradually stepping down away from town centre. Rather than complimenting neighbouring apartment buildings, this development stands to destroy the street scape. It will overshadow neighbouring houses as well as negatively impact on their privacy.

In conclusion, the proposed development is located in a bottle neck location with amplified implications on traffic flow in Lindfield. The additional amount of traffic generated by the development will simply cripple the East side of Lindfield. Residents in the building will have trouble accessing in and out of the building themselves. This is not the location to have such a large scale development, hence, the application should be declined.

Submission: Objection to 2–8 Highgate Road, Lindfield (SSD-78493518)
To whom it may concern,
I have lived in Lindfield for over 15 years and reside within 500m of the proposed development at 2–8 Highgate Road, Lindfield. I am writing to object to the development application SSD-78493518 as my family and I will be impacted by this proposal. My concerns are as follows:
5. Design Quality The building is visually inconsistent with the surrounding area, and lacks architectural merit in comparison to the surrounding houses and other nearby developments. It is an unappealing, towering block located directly opposite 1-2 storey homes that will destroy the cohesive streetscape of the area and suburb.
6. Built Form and Urban Design The building mass is too large and out of step with the surrounding residential properties. The transition across a narrow street to 1-2 stories homes from a 9 storey building with almost no setback is totally inappropriate.
7. Environmental Amenity The development adds disproportionate density and would negatively impact nearby homes on Reid Street, Kenilworth and Highgate Roads through loss of sunlight, overshadowing of homes and gardens and given the scale and height at 9 storeys it will directly face into private homes.
8. Visual Impact This Highgate site represents a significant increase in scale that is completely out of step with the surrounding built environment. It will be an overbearing structure that will be an eyesore for its height and bulk even in the context of a suburb that is evolving toward more four to six storey developments.
9. Transport and Parking The site is close to the train station, but increased traffic and reduced parking will impact local streets such as Reid, Kenilworth, Woodside and Highgate. Even with proximity to the train station, the proposed number of units will inevitably increase car ownership, exacerbating existing parking shortages.
10. Noise and Vibration Noise from construction and post-construction traffic will affect nearby residents, including families and children. This will disrupt daily life for at least 2 years given the depth of development required to build a 9 storey apartment. There are dozens of homes and hundreds of people who will be impacted by heavy noise during the day which will impact work from home capability.
11. Water Management There is concern the proposal doesn’t sufficiently address stormwater drainage impacts on nearby properties, particularly in areas like Woodside Avenue and Lindfield Avenue. This property is at the bottom of two steep streets and already is prone to flooding and poor water run off.
14. Trees and Landscaping Tree removal is again a concern, with too little emphasis on retaining or replacing local canopy. This will negatively impact the green character of the suburb and shade for the local community.
19. Flood Risk Paving over green areas increases runoff and the possibility of localised flooding, especially near the roundabout at Woodside and Lindfield Avenue
22. Environmental Heritage This site is located near heritage conservation areas and homes. The scale of the development would be visually jarring against significant heritage streetscapes and will overshadow and dominate heritage structures.
23. Public Space and Amenity There is very little open and public space within 400m of this development apart from a very small park near Lindfield station.
Conclusion
As a resident of Lindfield for over 15 years and having raised 3 children in the area, I request that the Highgate development not be approved in its current form. I am supportive of increasing housing, but this needs to be achieved in a coherent, planned manner that respects the overall character of the area and not by permitting the construction of isolated developments in arbitrary locations, whose scale, height and bulk are completely inconsistent with the character and streetscape of the suburb.
Ku Ring Gai Council is at an advanced stage of finalizing amendments to the NSW Government’s TOD scheme. These amendments have been developed with community consultation and will deliver on the NSW Government’s housing targets while also aiming to preserve the character, amenity and livability of Lindfield for current and future residents.
I urge the Department to reduce the scale, height and bulk of the Highgate development to at least comply with KRG Council’s TOD amendments. This would ensure the development meets good planning principles of being properly integrated into a coherent planning framework for the entire council area, rather than stand out as a towering behemoth.
Recommendation
The Highgate development should be 4-6 storeys at most and have appropriate transition to properties that are only 1-2 stories across Highgate road. The lower height and density would also help alleviate many of the above mentioned issues being:
• Traffic congestion and flow
• Parking on nearby narrow streets.
• Flood risk
• Tree loss or damage
• Environmental heritage impact given this is so close to a heritage conservation area
The Department should reduce the scale, height and bulk of the Highgate development to at least comply with KRG Council’s TOD amendments to ensure the development meets good planning principles of being properly integrated into a coherent planning framework for the entire council area.

Thank you for considering my submission.

Social and affordable housing is most important.

Please refer to the attached objection.