I object to the proposed 43 storey mixed development project for the following reasons:
1. A 43 storey building complex is totally out of character with existing buildings, both in height and use. For example, the new Store complex is 26 storeys high, the complex I live in is 4 storeys high, other existing apartment complexes are between 10 and 20 storeys high. The proposed complex is double that of the neighbouring buildings in the precinct. If the planners want an example of a building that "fits" the existing environment, I would suggest the developers look carefully at the Little National Hotel on Honeysuckle Drive. For the area, it is the right size with little impact parking-wise for surrounding residents.
2. There is very little street parking near the proposed complex. For example, the drop off at Newcastle Interchange is 3 car spaces long and has a 5 minute drop off time! Residents of the proposed complex (hotel patrons and apartment residents) will not be able to park out the front of the complex because one cannot stop in Hunter Street or Stewart Avenue, so non- residents will be forced into already congested space surrounding the complex. The last large car park on Honeysuckle Drive is slated for development in the near future. That's it, no additional car spaces along Honeysuckle Drive at all.
3. When the Store complex is finished there will be congestion in the area of Hunter Street. A 43 storey complex will only add to existing parking congestion.
4. For years Newcastle City Council and the Hunter Development Corporation have promoted the idea of a "village atmosphere" in the area of the proposed 43 storey building ie Wickham, Carrington, Tighes Hill etc. How would a 43 storey building possibly "fit" that concept??
My suggestion to the developers would be to go back and trim the building plans to match the existing height structures in the surrounding areas, ie the Store complex. I do not want to see some 43 storey Sydney eyesore.

I oppose the proposed development and rezoning of 10 Dangar St Wickham.

I reside in a nearby apartment building and am not opposed to high-density living in general. For this application I have several comments and concerns.

- The decision to allow this development application as a SSA is disappointing, and discards the effective planning and development programs run by City of Newcastle. This includes the Wickham Masterplan, which has been effectively delivering housing in the Wickham area.

- The building height is not in keeping with the character of the area. Perhaps the strongest evidence for this is found in appendix R1, showing the absurd visual impact (e.g. page 34) of the proposed development on the Newcastle skyline. The building negatively impacts the visual appearance of the area, despite the claims made in the visual impact report.

- Community consultation was undertaken and concerns were noted, but it doesn’t appear that any feedback has been taken on board to revise the application. Such a disregard for the community is insulting.

- Proximal to the train station, there is significant pedestrian and vehicular activity along Station St, Charles St, Dangar St and Bishopsgate St at all hours of the day. The increased vehicular activity with the underground car park and hotel will significantly complicate pedestrian, bicycle, and vehicular movement through the area. The uplift to enable green travel seems to be negligible beyond encouragement to occupants.

- The 215 new car parks allocated are not sufficient for the approximately 640 new residents (442 in units, 198 in co-living units) housed in the site, let alone the 171 new hotel rooms. My evidence for this claim lies in my residence in a nearby apartment, and knowledge of the car parking struggles in my own building.

I support the original DA for the site (D2018/0119 then DA2022/00448) and strongly urge a return to this design, or something of similar envelope and scale. Alternatively, I would suggest the development consist only of the units and hotel, or units and co-living, with an corresponding scale-down of the building size.

We should all be supporting infill housing in a housing crisis. The HRP 2041 sets a 60% mix of infill vs greenfield development for the region which it has so far failed to meet. This site is incredibly well positioned for such a development given its proximity to the busiest and best served train station in NSW outside of Sydney. It makes sense for a greater density than the already approved DA here for this reason too - this SHOULD be the highest density area in the entire city even if existing planning controls don't necessarily envision that. That being said, why are we providing that many parking spaces in such a prime location? know its fewer than the number of apartments but for land like this the number should really be as close to zero as possible. There is absolutely zero reason for minimum parking to be required in general but for a location like this it's actually a joke. The only real other downside is whether this level of residential development supports the objectives of the commercial centre zoning but tbh Council's submission will probably cover whether or not they think they need the employment land idk. Anyway build it but for gods sake please do not put in that many parking spaces you are literally further entrenching car dependency by forcing people to pay for it in this kind of land (even if not everyone who lives in the building will have one the few that do will be)

This development is an ideal use of the site. Newcastle needs high density development in the CBD, close to transport

The proposal isa gross over development and will ruin the village atmosphere of Wickham. The development will dominate the landscape and the Newcastle city. Parking is already a problem in Wickham with little spare parking for visitors. This proposal will only add to the parking problems.
The proposed development is over scale and is not needed or appropriate for this area. .A proposal of half the size would be more suitable

i did do a supporting submission for this project sorry about having 2 but i would also like to add it is a bit of a missed oppourtunity but a rooftop bar would have been awesome

love it newcastle needs to start going up even taller hope this sets a precedent fo r the future
newcastle nneds to move to the future well deisgned buildings like urban do are great for the city

I object to the project for multiple reasons including:
- the proposed project will not fit in with the current community culture of Wickham in the area
- the building height is double that of any existing buildings in the area and will create a considerable change to the skyline and image of the area. This is not only for the residents of Wickham, but also will change the view of Newcastle from the harbour. Not only is the height of the building an issue, but also the style/shape of the building is different to all the other existing buildings.
- the street and surrounding streets are small and not appropriate for the increased traffic the project will bring. Not only will there be extra traffic, but an increased need for car parking as the proposal does not include enough spaces for the units. Carparking can already be difficult in the area and will only become worse.
- the previous attempt to build on this site ran into issues with drainage/water due to choosing to build an underground carpark. The other local apartment blocks have above ground carparks. Will this drainage issue really be able to be permanently resolved?
- the type of residents proposed will change the character of the area, with potential for increased crime and reduced safety for existing residents.

As a forthcoming owner of The Store at 854 Hunter St one of my primary decisions to purchase on a high floor was that there were no buildings in front, north facing, that would impede the views. 10 Dangar St even after the issues with Bowline had a 45m height restriction with the possibility of 60M with planning incentives. This development going to 38 stories has a significant impact on the views from our new apartment. There are numerous sites along Hunter st that can go to 90M so plenty of development opportunities without having to signicantly breach the well thought out Newcastle Development Plan and Wickham Masterplan. This should remain at no higher than 60M as per the rules.

I support the project, I believe it will significantly improve housing affordability and availability in the area.

I would however like to see the number of units and storeys significantly increased as well as units set aside for essential workers.