Kensington and Kingsford Town Centres Planning Proposal

Thanks for your question. 

The proposed height and density controls for the entire corridor are underpinned by design principles set out in the draft Planning Strategy, see Appendix 1a: Planning Strategy - Part 1 of 2, page 49. These principles were informed by the international urban design competition held in 2016 and consideration of projected in residential and employment growth. Following the competition, Council engaged urban design consultants to undertake a more detailed analysis and review of appropriate built form controls for each block in Kensington and Kingsford taking into account impacts on nearby development, achieving good design and public benefits. The review established that mid-rise building would provide for a more human scale for the precinct, with higher, more slender buildings being located at key intersections where they act to create distinctive urban form and facilitate growth around light rail infrastructure. 
See Appendix 1a: Planning Strategy - Part 1 of 2 , page 48-57 for further information.

In relation to footpaths, Council has proposed that new buildings must provide minimum 2.5m setback from the front of each block. This will widen the existing footpath and over time will make a continuous, wider footpath along the length of Anzac Parade.

Part of the draft Strategy includes a Design Excellence policy which relates to the key node sites and allows an increase in height provided they undergo a competitive design excellence process. A new Development Control Plan (DCP) for the two centres will require development applications within the K2K boundary to demonstrate that they can achieve high standards of design and amenity and this will be subject to further community consultation in early 2020.

Hi, thanks for commenting on the strategy.  Council is in the early stages of preparing a Development Control Plan (DCP) for the two centres which will contain more detailed controls for new development in the K2K corridor. The DCP will need to complement and support the legislative provisions contained in Council’s LEP and therefore will be finalised after Council’s decision on the exhibited Planning Proposal.  The draft DCP will be subject to further community consultation in early 2020.

Hi, thanks for your question.

In relation to the capacity of the light rail, advice provided by Council’s transport consultant is that public transport capacity can be met if the light rail together with buses continue to service the transport needs of the precinct. Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has advised that all express buses and some of the existing buses to the City from the east and south will be maintained and that the bus network will be scalable and flexible to respond to demand as the need arises. When open, the light rail will have 15 services/hour. This can increase to 20 services per hour with a 6 minute intervals.

In the longer term, the transport analysis recommended that additional transport capacity would likely be required in the form of new mass transit and additional bus services. Council will continue to advocate for improvements to public transport including mass transport to meet the needs of the community in line with the 30 minute City direction in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – Metropolis of Three Cities.

Thank you for your questions. 

The strategies and actions outlined in the draft proposal focus on improving the town centres by requiring a high standard of design excellence, creating new public spaces through the widening of footpaths (which will enable more opportunities for outdoor dining), new urban furniture, planting of significant trees along Anzac Parade, and introducing new urban plazas within the town centres, such as the Meeks Street Plaza which will function as a community focal point (see Section 8.0 Public Realm and Landscape in the Planning Strategy for more details). These improvements are intended to improve the streetscape, build a strong local character and sense of community.

The traffic assessment report undertaken for Council as part of the K2K Strategy determined that the anticipated level of traffic from both residential  and commercial development can be accommodated in the precinct.  It is expected that there will be reduced reliance on cars as more residents and employees will use the light rail. Traffic modelling also concluded that the performance of key intersections can be addressed by undertaking design improvements to reduce delays. In regards to traffic along Forsyth Street, currently no plans are in place to make Forsyth Street one way however Council will continue to monitor traffic volumes and intersection performances to determine future traffic management measures.

The Strategy proposes a minimum quantity of commercial floor space in the Randwick Local Environmental Plan (RLEP) which will apply to the key nodes of Todman Square, Kingsford Midtown and Kingsford Junction Precincts. These areas are identified in the Kensington and Kingsford town centre commercial floor space ratio maps on page 46 of the Strategy.

In addition, the Strategy proposes a requirement that buildings have active frontages to all ground floor spaces so they can be open to the street and have visual engagement with pedestrians. This will improve the amenity of the precinct, support viability and security. It is also proposed to amend the Randwick Development Control Plan 2013 to encourage retail and commercial uses to address laneways and secondary streets. Please see the Kensington and Kingsford Town Centre active frontages maps on page 45 of the Strategy.

Further information can be found in Section 4.4 Commercial Floor Space and Jobs Growth of the Strategy.

Public domain changes will be funded and implemented through a community infrastructure clause (CIC) and draft 7.12 Contrbutions Plan (also currently on exhibition). The community infrastructure clause will apply to all land within the Kensington and Kingsford town centres. The intended effect of the CIC is to allow for additional building heights and density (from the existing requirement in the RLEP 2012) within the Kensington and Kingsford town centres if the development provides community infrastructure (see appendix 3b Kensington and Kingsford Town Centres - Community Infrastructure Contribution - Development Guidelines for further details).

The draft 7.12 Contributions Plan requires a monetary payment based on the cost of carrying out development. The contribution will apply as a condition of development consent or a complying development certificate if the cost of the works exceeds $100,000. The maximum levy is 3% for works over $250,000.

Boarding houses are a permissible use in the B2 Local Centre Zone and like all proposals in the corridor, will be required to achieve a high standard of design excellence including built form, ground level public realm improvements, sustainability initiatives, active street frontages and wider footpaths, to meet the design principles and the vision set out in the draft Strategy.

Thank you for your feedback. In answer to your question regarding properties surrounding the Carlton Street light rail stop:

The review relates to the land currently zoned B2 Local Centre within the Kensington and Kingsford town centres and three additional sites in Kingsford which form a minor boundary extension to the Kingsford Town Centre.

In relation to properties adjacent to the Carlton Street light rail stop, the properties within the B2 zone adjacent to the stop were subject to review (as part of the K2K draft Strategy) and subsequently Council is proposing a height increase up to a maximum of 9 storeys and an allowable Floor Space Ratio (FSR) of 4:1 at the sites. The properties surrounding the Carlton Street stop which fall outside the B2 zone have not been included in this review.

More information relating to the exact boundaries of the review can be found using the Interactive Map on Council’s ‘Your Say’ website using the link below:

https://randwick-council.maps.arcgis.com/apps/View/index.html?appid=fde7ec24913e4dfcb844477abb6f9c17

Please do not hesitate to get in touch if you have any further questions.

Regards

Randwick City Council

Thank you for your question. The K2K plan includes provisions that require new development to have parking. For example, a studio will have no minimum requirement but a 3 bedroom flat will need to provide a minimum of 1.1 spaces per dwelling and no more than 1.4 spaces per dwelling. Part C section 7.11 of the K2K Planning Strategy contains an explanation of the provisions and a table showing the proposed minimum and maximum parking requirements.  These new requirements will be contained in a draft development control plan for the town centres along with other planning and design controls which will be subject to further community consultation in early 2020.

No that is not correct. A new set of parking standards, which is a reduction on Council’s existing controls, have been recommended to apply to future development proposals in the town centres depending on the mix of apartment types and commercial floor space. For example, a studio will have no minimum requirement but a 3 bedroom flat will need to provide a minimum of 1.1 spaces per dwelling and no more than 1.4 spaces per dwelling. Part C section 7.11 of the K2K Planning Strategy contains an explanation of the provisions and a table showing the proposed minimum and maximum parking requirements.  These new requirements will be contained in a draft development control plan for the town centres along with other planning and design controls which will be subject to further community consultation in early 2020.

Suggested car parking requirements contained in the draft Strategy were developed by consultants following modelling of parking and traffic impacts of the proposed changes to planning controls, road changes, footpath widening and traffic movements. The analysis also suggested increased bicycle and motorcycle parking and increased car share vehicle spaces given the improved connectivity and improved public transport servicing which is expected to reduce future reliance on private vehicle ownership.

Hi, thanks for your question! The traffic assessment report undertaken for Council as part of the K2K Strategy determined that the anticipated level of traffic from both residential  and commercial development should be able to be accommodated in the precinct.  It is expected that there will be reduced reliance on cars as more residents and employees will use the light rail. Traffic modelling also concluded that the performance of key intersections can be addressed by undertaking design improvements to reduce delays.

In relation to the capacity of the light rail, advice provided by Council’s transport consultant is that public transport capacity can be met if the light rail together with buses continue to service the transport needs of the precinct. Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has advised that all express buses and some of the existing buses to the City from the east and south will be maintained and that the bus network will be scalable and flexible to respond to demand as the need arises. When open, the light rail will have 15 services/hour. This can increase to 20 services per hour with a 6 minute intervals. In the longer term, the transport analysis recommended that additional transport capacity would likely be required in the form of new mass transit and additional bus services. Council will continue to advocate for improvements to public transport including mass transport to meet the needs of the community in line with the 30 minute City direction in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – Metropolis of Three Cities.

Hi, thanks for your question. We think it's important to manage the strategic planning process for the two town centres so that we can achieve the community character and public benefits that Kingsford and Kensington deseve.. The alternative scenario of developer led, unsolicited planning proposals is likely to result in a piecemeal outcome, taller buildings along Anzac Parade and lost opportunity to achieve community and public benefits. 

If the planning changes are endorsed by Council, developments are unlikely to commence in the corridor prior to 2021, in which time the light rail will have been running.

The traffic assessment report undertaken for Council as part of the K2K Strategy determined that the anticipated level of traffic from both residential  and commercial development should be able to be accommodated in the precinct.  It is expected that there will be reduced reliance on cars as more residents and employees will use the light rail. Traffic modelling also concluded that the performance of key intersections can be addressed by undertaking design improvements to reduce delays.

In relation to the capacity of the light rail, advice provided by Council’s transport consultant is that public transport capacity can be met if the light rail together with buses continue to service the transport needs of the precinct. Transport for NSW (TfNSW) has advised that all express buses and some of the existing buses to the City from the east and south will be maintained and that the bus network will be scalable and flexible to respond to demand as the need arises. When open, the light rail will have 15 services/hour. This can increase to 20 services per hour with a 6 minute intervals. In the longer term, the transport analysis recommended that additional transport capacity would likely be required in the form of new mass transit and additional bus services. Council will continue to advocate for improvements to public transport including mass transport to meet the needs of the community in line with the 30 minute City direction in the Greater Sydney Region Plan – Metropolis of Three Cities.