44-48 Oxford Street

Published by Epping Civic Trust at March 25, 2018

DA/485/2016

The heritage cottage is again facing demolition. Support is needed at the Planning Panel meeting on 4th April.

Parramatta City Council received this DA on June 17 2016 . You can read the details here.

It will be decided by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel at 6pm on Wednesday 4 April. You can find the Panel documents here.

You can read the Trust's written submission on the amended proposal by clicking the button below.

Make Your Views Known

This DA will now be considered by the Sydney Central City Planning Panel at 6pm on Wednesday 4 April, at Rydalmere Operations Centre, 316 Victoria Rd Rydalmere. People need to register to speak (you get 3 minutes) by 10am on Tuesday 3 April by phoning 8217 2060 or emailing enquiry@planningpanels.nsw.gov.au. Please come and speak up in support of preserving Epping’s heritage before it is lost forever!

If you do not intend to address the meeting you do not need to register to attend - just come along and show your support for the Trust's endeavours to preserve this important link to our past.

Trust Submission

Heritage Listed Cottage at the site

This Development Application is for a site in the middle of Oxford Street on the east side of Epping. It is most well known for the restored historic cottage in the middle of the development area but also includes the offices next door (where John Alexander’s office is located).

This DA has now been submitted twice, and each time the demolition of the heritage-listed cottage has been the main issue. Most recently, the proposal went to the Planning Panel in February 2018 and only a last minute submission by Damien Tudehope MP, questioning the legality of the panel approving demolition, had the DA deferred. There were strong representations by local residents at this meeting, and a petition to retain the cottage was also tabled at a City of Parramatta council meeting.

The proposal to demolish the heritage cottage at 48 Oxford Street, Epping remains the stumbling block for this development. This cottage is protected under schedule 5 of the Hornsby LEP and is an important part of Epping's limited built heritage. It was successfully restored by the same developer to Hornsby Council specifications in 2010. The developer commented in their original application that the cottage has retained many original features. The proposal to demolish this item of heritage in favour of yet another block of flats was strongly opposed by the Epping Civic Trust in its earlier submission in July 2016 and no new compelling reasons are given in this amended application for its demolition.

Proposed Buildings at 44-48 Oxford Street

The Trust remains opposed to the demolition of this cottage. There is an alternative plan and that is for the developer to acquire the property at 48A Oxford Street. It has been revealed in the amended application that this property is available for sale and that negotiations have been ongoing with the developer of 44-48 Oxford Street. The acquisition of this property would facilitate a redesign of the subject development and the placement of the heritage house at the centre of a public access area. Council is urged to support a mediation process.