Randwick Junction Planning Strategy
Consultation has concluded
Project update: The draft Randwick Junction Planning Proposal has been lodged with the Department of Planning and Environment requesting ‘Gateway Determination’ to exhibit the plan. Consultation on the Planning Proposal is expected to commence late 2023/early 2024.
Randwick City Council has developed a draft Planning Strategy for the Randwick Junction Town Centre. The draft strategy sets out the vision and actions to guide the sustainable growth and physical development of the town centre over the next 15 years.
It identifies public benefits including improvements to the town centre's public domain and public spaces, promotes key laneway activation, and identifies sustainable strategies for environmental conservation and best practice architectural design.
The draft Strategy also outlines a plan to guide future development and encourage renewal of existing sites and to meet future demand for commercial and retail floor space for expanding health and education services.
Key changes and community benefits proposed by the draft Strategy
- Strengthened heritage: Preserve the heritage significance of the town centre with additional heritage items and contributory buildings.
- Consolidated town boundary: Extend the existing boundary of the town centre to provide a consistent zoning that strengthens the centre by augmenting business and mixed uses to support future growth.
- Promote planned growth: Focus commercial and retail growth in select opportunity and infill sites to support future planned growth.
- Improved Public Spaces: Provide new public plaza, rejuvenated public places, activated laneways and wider footpaths to ensure a revitalised town centre.
- Sustainable Green Architecture: New developments will require green walls, green roofs and landscaped terraces, and achieve green star energy efficient buildings.
- Affordable Housing - Dedicate a percentage of units in new developments to affordable housing.
Read more about how the strategy will create a vibrant town centre.
Why planned change is needed
- Significant demand is forecast for more commercial medical and retail floorspace; largely driven by the expansion of the surrounding hospital and university campus.
- Light rail will increase pedestrian movement, attract more visitors and stimulate business activity.
- Randwick is a bustling shopping and pedestrian area, but significant improvements can be made to improve the experience for people.
- Future development is highly likely and Council wants to ensure this development is sustainable, modest in height and provides considered public benefit.
What you’ve told us
Between 2016 and 2019, Randwick Council consulted with local residents, shoppers and property owners to get your ideas to improve the town centre and develop this strategy. Our community consultation found:
- Creating a pedestrian-friendly environment, street trees and more landscaping were the most important public domain issues.
- People like the variety of shops, convenience, and friendly and welcoming atmosphere.
- People want to see traffic congestion addressed, improved pedestrian accessibility, better footpaths and improved open spaces and streetscapes.
Click here for more on our Randwick Junction Town Centre Review.
Have your say
- Read the Randwick Junction Planning Strategy
- Make an online submission or;
- Send your comments headed “Randwick Junction Planning Strategy” to the General Manager by email council@randwick.nsw.gov.au or by post to Randwick City Council, 30 Frances Street, Randwick NSW 2031.
Consultation period: 11 November to 8 December 2020.
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Creating a vibrant town centre
Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linkedin Email this linkStrengthening heritage character:
Randwick Junction has been an important town centre since its establishment as a village in the mid nineteenth century. Today, the whole of the Randwick Junction town centre is a heritage conservation area and contains 26 heritage-listed buildings giving Randwick Junction a distinct heritage village character.
This strategy values and recognises these heritage qualities by ensuring future growth is directed into select opportunity sites where impacts are minimised, and new infill development occurs at a scale that is sympathetic to existing heritage buildings, while nominating additional buildings for heritage listing in the town centre.
Improving public spaces:
An important part of the Randwick Junction Strategy is improving public spaces to encourage activation and interaction between people.
Our public spaces: Now: Future: Arthur Lane. Opportunities for through site pedestrian links and activation for extended retail areas.
Waratah Avenue Plaza. Opportunity for street closure to create a new civic space with seating and a tiered decking for markets, exhibitions and street performance.
June Moore Place, Belmore Road. Planting and seating upgrades to enhance this existing public space.
Opportunity sites:
The strategy identifies three sites that provide opportunity for significant improvements and renewal. These sites are close to transport and key infrastructure, and generally contain larger consolidated floorplates.
North Western Block: This site on Alison Rd includes the Randwick Club and could be redeveloped to approximately 19m (6 storeys) stepping down to 3/4 storeys providing a focus of renewal in the north of the town centre.
Central block: This site contains Royal Randwick Shopping Centre and Woolworths. It is a large site with important pedestrian through links between Belmore Rd and Avoca St. It could be redeveloped up to approximately 19m (6 storeys) with setbacks on higher levels.
High Street block: This site (which contains Randwick Plaza and Coles) could be amalgamated with surrounding sites and redeveloped to generate additional commercial and residential floorspace. It could be redeveloped up to approximately 34m (10 storeys) on the High Street/Belmore Road corner stepping down to eight storeys with setbacks from High Street and on higher levels.
