Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham.

I've lived in Wickham for several years now, and I'm genuinely concerned about whether a development of this size can work without causing real problems for the neighbourhood. The applicant needs to demonstrate that this actually fits with what Wickham, Newcastle West and the Newcastle Interchange precinct can handle.

My main concern is the parking shortfall. This isn't just about whether they can technically build a tower here — it's about whether they've actually shown that the outcome is fair, safe and proportionate. I don't see how you can justify this scale of development without sorting out the parking properly. People still need to park their cars, and pushing that problem onto local streets isn't an acceptable solution.

There's also the aviation and crane risk issue, which adds to my concerns that this application simply isn't ready for approval yet.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to SSD-89869959 for the 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham. I live in Newcastle West and this proposal will directly affect my area.

My main concern is around hotel pick-up and drop-off. A building this size will generate constant vehicle movements at street level, and I don't think the application has properly worked through what that actually means for traffic flow and safety in Wickham. The applicant needs to show how this will work in practice, not just assert that it's manageable.

There's also the question of public domain and road reserve. The way the development sits in relation to the street and how people will move through that space doesn't feel properly resolved. These aren't minor details—they matter for how the precinct functions day to day.

The application treats this like it's acceptable just because it's near the Interchange. But proximity to public transport doesn't automatically solve the real-world problems a 43-storey hotel will create. I need to see actual evidence that the impacts have been thought through properly, not general statements about housing supply or transport.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I live in an apartment nearby and I'm writing to object to this application because I don't think the impacts have been properly worked through.

A 43-storey development at this location is a big ask, and the application hasn't made a convincing case that Wickham, Newcastle West and the Newcastle Interchange precinct can absorb it without real problems.

What bothers me most is the public domain and road reserve side of things. The proposal seems to depend on public-domain outcomes, road interfaces and through-site links that haven't been properly locked in or endorsed by the relevant authorities. This isn't something that should be smoothed over later during design development — it's fundamental to whether this should get approval in the first place.

I'm also not satisfied with the design excellence commitment. Right now it's just broad statements of intent. We need actual drawings, specific conditions and clear operational commitments that show how design quality will actually be delivered and maintained.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm renting in Wickham and I'm writing to object to the 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street in its current form.

My main worry is about traffic and road safety. The way vehicles would access the site hasn't been properly worked out. There are real issues around driveway sightlines, how heavy vehicles would move in and out, and how that affects pedestrians and cyclists using Dangar Street. The street has a civic function that matters to how this area works, and I don't think we've got enough evidence to show these problems can be solved safely.

I'm also concerned about flooding. Wickham's already dealing with a lot of pressure from traffic, buses, people walking and cycling, and all the new development that's happening. Adding another major building without addressing flood risk properly doesn't seem right.

I'm not against more housing — the area needs it. But we shouldn't have to accept unresolved problems with flooding, traffic, wind impacts, building design, public spaces or infrastructure just to get it built. These things matter for people living here.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham (SSD-89869959).

I'm a first home buyer in the area, and I'm trying to understand how a 43-storey building fits with what's already been approved for Wickham. From what I can see, this height and the floor space ratio are well above what the current planning controls allow, and I haven't seen a proper explanation for why this particular site deserves such a massive exception.

The scale of this just doesn't seem proportionate to the area. There's nothing in the application that convinces me the community should accept this kind of departure from the existing framework without much stronger justification.

I'm also concerned about where people will park bikes and motorcycles. This part of Wickham already feels congested with traffic, buses, pedestrians and cyclists all competing for space. Adding more residents without addressing these practical issues seems like it's setting up problems down the track.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I work in affordable housing advocacy, and I've been following this proposal for 10 Dangar Street pretty closely. What concerns me most is that the design excellence requirements haven't been properly sorted out before this gets approved.

The design excellence pathway is incomplete. There's an Alternative Design Excellence Strategy that hasn't been finished, and the State Design Review Panel raised issues that haven't been fully addressed. This isn't something that can be tidied up later — it matters now, before any approval is given. If the design hasn't gone through proper excellence review, we shouldn't be moving forward.

I'm also worried about how construction will actually be managed day-to-day. The application talks about managing impacts in general terms, but there's nothing specific — no detailed drawings of how traffic and site access will work, no clear operational commitments, just vague promises about intent. That needs to be concrete before we know what we're really approving.

A 43-storey building is a significant intervention in this part of Wickham and Newcastle West. The assessment needs to look at what will actually happen on the ground, not just rely on the fact that there's a train station nearby or that we need more housing. Those things matter, but they're not substitutes for doing the real work on design quality and construction management.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm a student in the area and I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham (SSD-89869959).

My main concern is around wind impacts. I've looked into what's been submitted and the wind tunnel testing has flagged serious safety issues on the upper-level balconies. From what I can see, the mitigation strategy still needs further verification, and I don't think that's good enough. We shouldn't have to accept those kinds of risks without much stronger evidence that they're actually going to be managed properly.

I'm also concerned about how this development will work with crime prevention through environmental design and overall management. Wickham is already dealing with a lot of pressure from traffic, public transport, pedestrians, cyclists and other new building work. Adding a development this size without properly thinking through those impacts doesn't sit right with me.

Because this proposal is so large, I think the consent authority needs to be really careful and base any decision on solid evidence rather than assumptions.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street. I teach at a local school and spend a lot of time in this area, so I've watched how it's changing over the years.

My main concern is the visual impact of a tower this size. From where I stand—literally, walking around Wickham most days—a 43-storey building is going to fundamentally change what this precinct looks like. The views from Wickham itself, from Honeysuckle, Newcastle West, and along the harbour edge will all be affected. A tower of this height will dominate the skyline in a way that can't be undone. This isn't something to sort out later in the design process. Whether this building fits here or not should be decided now, based on how it actually looks and feels in the landscape.

I'm also worried about the parking shortfall. The application talks around the issue rather than properly explaining how it will work. I need to see actual drawings and concrete operational plans, not just statements about managing it somehow down the track.

I'm not against new housing—we need it. But housing development shouldn't mean we have to accept unresolved problems with flooding, traffic, wind impacts, design quality, public spaces, or infrastructure. These aren't minor details. The applicant needs to show they've actually solved these problems, not just promised to think about them later.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I'm writing to object to the proposed 43-storey development at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham.

I've lived in this area for many years since retiring, and I'm genuinely concerned that the applicant hasn't made a proper case for how a building of this size can work without serious problems for Wickham and the surrounding neighbourhoods. It's not just about whether it can physically go up — it's about whether this decision makes sense for the community.

My main concern is community infrastructure. The proposal doesn't adequately address how services like water, sewerage, transport and local facilities would cope with this much added density. A development bringing thousands more people to the area needs to show it won't strain essential services beyond what's reasonable.

The sheer height and scale of this tower makes those concerns worse. I'm not opposed to new housing — we need it — but we shouldn't have to accept unresolved risks with flooding, traffic congestion, wind effects, design quality, public spaces and infrastructure just to get it built.

Dear Assessment Officer,

I work in health services across the region, and I've spent enough time in Wickham to see what makes it work as a place. I'm writing to object to the 43-storey development proposed at 10 Dangar Street because I don't think the application has made a real case that impacts of this scale can actually be managed.

My main worry is about heritage and how the building will sit in the townscape. A tower this tall with that kind of podium design is going to change how you experience the heritage buildings around it and the whole character of Newcastle city centre. That's not something to sort out later in design development—it matters now for whether this should be approved at all.

The visual impact concerns me too. Right now the drawings and descriptions are too vague. We need actual, detailed material showing exactly how the visual impact will be handled, not just general statements about trying to minimise it. There should be clear drawings, proper conditions attached to any approval, and real commitments from the applicant about what will actually happen.

Before asking the community to accept something this far outside the current planning rules, the applicant needs to put forward much stronger evidence and binding guarantees. It's a significant departure and it deserves that level of rigour.