Council Overruled in 22-Storey Crows Nest Approval

Deicorp’s 22-storey Crows Nest proposal has been approved by the NSW Independent Planning Commission after it was rejected by the North Sydney Council.

The commission greenlit the development by the prolific Sydney developer late last month. 

After acquiring the site in 2019, Deicorp filed in 2020 for a 36-storey project on the back of the draft Crows Nest 2036 plan, which was announced in 2015 and exhibited in 2018 and aims to deliver appropriate housing supply around the proposed station.

However, with opposition from the council, the Deicorp plan was rejected and the developer went back to the drawing board before winning planning proposal gazettal in 2023.

A State Significant development application was submitted in April of last yet to be assessed by the NSW Department of Planning, and the new 22-storey plans were recommended for approval in November. 

However, the North Sydney Council objected to the development again, triggering it to be sent before the Independent Planning Commission.

The council argued that it should be reduced to 16 storeys as per the original application, that the tower and podium had “excessive bulk and scale” which would impact on surrounding heritage and conservation areas, causing overshadowing and loss of solar access, and also complained of “excess” parking.  However, the comissision disagreed.

▲ The project includes 8002sq m of commercial and retail gross floor area across its three-storey podium.

The commission found that the development would support state government priorities to deliver well-located housing, and that while the building might be “highly prominent” it provided bulk and scale consistent with the “envisaged character” of the St Leonards and Crows Nest Precinct. 

The commission invited submissions from the community and received 20—nine objections and 11 in support of the plans.

It also said that the project was eligible for a 30 per cent uplift in height and density after infill affordable changes that Deicorp has made employed effectively at this and other Sydney projects.

“The project was in the planning system for 3.5 years until the final planning proposal was approved in December 2023 allowing us to submit an SSDA, which was recommended for approval in November 2024,” Deicorp executive manager for corporate communications Rob Furolo said.

“While council objected at every stage of the planning process, the Commission (IPC) and the Department of Planning both agreed that the project—which is 300m from the new Metro station, in a town centre and on the Pacific Highway, and which includes a significant affordable housing component —should be approved.

“It has been a long process, but we’ve persevered and we’re happy to finally have an approval so we can start this project.”

With a $141.3-million development cost attached, the building is 350m from Crows Nest Metro Station and has been designed by Turner Studio. 

It will deliver 188 apartments including 48 affordable housing units, of which 33 will be one bedroom, 118 two-bedroom, and 37 three-bedroom apartments.

▲ Deicorp was also approved for its 574-apartment Zetland site in December.

Deicorp founder Fouad Deiri highlighted the work of the Department of Planning to support the application, despite opposition from North Sydney Council.

“We have been working for over five years to achieve an approval on this site, including three separate planning proposals and a subsequent State Significant application,” Deiri said in a statement.

“The time it has taken to secure an approval for this project highlights the difficulties the development industry faces in trying to build homes in Sydney.

“A community survey we undertook as part of the consultation process demonstrated a majority of residents in the area were either in favour of the project, or neutral towards it.

“A significant majority of residents surveyed supported the substantial Affordable Housing within the project and the new retail precinct being provided.”