Dear Department of Planning,

Objection Application in relation to Development Application at 164-194 William Street Woolloomooloo.

My name is Alex Chatfield and I own my property at 12/1-5 Rosebank Street Darlinghurst. My property is a two-bedroom unit on the second floor of the complex, facing north. My unit overlooks William Street and from inside my loungeroom, kitchen and the balcony, I have uninterrupted views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the City. I purchased this unit as it was north facing which provides natural sunlight and the amazing views of Sydney.

I’m objecting to the Development Application at 164-194 William Street Woolloomooloo as it will impact the natural sunlight that my unit gets and also impact my views of Sydney. Situated at 164-194 William Street Woolloomooloo presently is Bayswater Car Rental which doesn’t impact the sunlight or my views giving the height of the building. I overlook the building at its current height. Attached are photographs I’ve taken from inside my unit and on my balcony to show my current views.

I’ve read over the Development Application for 164-194 William Street Woolloomooloo and have concerns of the height of the proposed development of the building. The proposed height of the building is 18 storeys which is far greater than the original height of the current building Bayswater Car Rental. This development will impact the natural sunlight of my building and impact the views that my residence provides me. The development will impact the value of my property as it will eliminate my views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Opera House and the City.

Please consider my objection application and reasons why this development shouldn’t be approved. Also, if this project is approved, I believe that I should be compensated for the above-mentioned reasons.

Kind regards,
Alex Chatfield
[email protected]
0402328933

This development will entirely obstruct our view of Sydney CBD and the Harbor Bridge.
If this were to proceed it would exponentially devalue my property and the value of many buildings in the area.

As an owner of an apartment and local resident closely located to this development and a general supporter of development, I strongly object and have significant concerns about the changes in the recent submissions and urge the NSW department of planning to call a hearing to address the following issues:

1. Height increase to 18 stories- a massive change from the DA previously submitted. The initial development was to be no higher than the "No Birds" building next door, and this change is out of character for the street and surrounding building heights. This will cause significant shadowing of neighboring properties, increase the Williams street wind tunnel (which is already bad) and will dominate the street
2. Visual impact on my property- I purchase my property a year ago, and assessed the previously-submitted proposal which was to be no higher than the neighboring building. This massive 18-story increase will ruin my views of the harbor bridge and opera house, and the 1) lack of transparency and view studies of the many buildings that will lose their views; 2) substantial change and increase to height from the original proposal; & 3) significant financial loss of value from neighboring units means the current proposal is a detriment to the local community and residents. Rushing through a massive increase in height and footprint at the 11th hour is not acceptable, and will have severe negative ramifications for neighbors from the previous proposal height, which somewhat respected the surrounding buildings.
3. The massive increase in the development will significantly worsen traffic congestion on an already busy street, especially in light of the several other large developments proposed for the area.

I strongly urge the department to call a hearing and allow local residents to weigh in on this proposal, considering the last-minute massive increase in the height and profile of this development which deviates significantly from the original proposal. In its current form, this building does not respect the surrounding residents or keep in line with reasonable building heights of the surrounding properties, and needs to go through a proper consultation process to achieve the best outcome for my community.

Grounds for Objection
1. Significant Increase in Size Compared to Initial Proposal
The revised development is substantially larger than the original proposal. This change was not anticipated when I purchased my property in June 2025, based on the height and size outlined in the initial plan.

2. Loss of Iconic Views and Financial Impact
The increased height and bulk will completely obstruct my views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House, which will have a considerable negative financial impact on my property value. The Visual Impact assessment in the proposal has only taken into account a small number of buildings and homes potentially impacted. Other surrounding buildings have not been included in the assessment provided.

3. Adverse Impact on Local Infrastructure and Environment
o Increased traffic congestion
o Altered wind flows
o Additional strain on public transport and local infrastructure

4. Cumulative Effect of Multiple Large Developments
There is a concerning trend of oversized developments in the immediate vicinity, including:
o 134 William Street
o Holiday Inn site
o 164 William Street
Each appears to be seeking not only the 30% uplift but significant additional height. Under the current SSD process, these applications are assessed independently, ignoring the cumulative impact on town planning, amenity, and livability.
5. Ambiguity Regarding “Private Park” and Gross Floor Area (GFA)
The proposal seems to include the full GFA without deducting the area allocated for the private park. This effectively adds extra height, as the park occupies approximately seven floors of potential building space, which should have resulted in a corresponding reduction in building floor area.
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Conclusion
For the reasons outlined above, I strongly object to the revised development proposal and urge the council to reject or significantly amend the application to align with responsible planning principles and community expectations.

Dear Planning Committee,

I sincerely object to the revised monumental increase in scale and scope of development works to the site at 164 - 194 William Street, Woolloomooloo. The vast increase contravenes and disregards the Sydney Local Environment Plan representing housing planning and such an increase will totally degrade the William Street and surrounding precinct areas.

The bulk and scale of the proposed development contravenes the precedent of the Woolloomooloo Greenbans in which Juanita Neilsen tragically lost her life in the fight to preserve the integrity of the Woolloomooloo suburburban community and its scale in terms of development. The vast increase in the scale of the development will have significant detrimental impacts to the character of both Woolloomooloo and William Street in general. With follow on impacts to the suburbs of Darlinghurst and East Sydney.

Given that William Street is the main arterial transit for commuters and drivers from the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney to and from the CBD (Central Business District), the vast increase in traffic activity (far in excess of the design excellence former approval) will see a substantial increase in traffic congestion and reduction in traffic flow.

There are many grey areas omitted from the plans that have been submitted in regards to the development which leaves many avenues open to exploitation should the development be approved - an example of these under-explained or planned areas includes the inclusion of the privately owned “public park” and the so called park’s use in the development’s planning capability due to the fact that the privately owned and included park is not included or considered in the GFA (Gross Floor Area) of the development.

Thank you for your consideration of these grave planning concerns in order to preserve the integrity of the East Sydney and Woolloomooloo area.