4.7 Former Local Court House and Redfern Police Station - Draft

The Local Court House and Police Station site is located at 103 Redfern Street. The site is bounded by Redfern Street to the north, Turner Street to the south, and retail and residential uses to the east and west.

Existing characteristics

The site is approximately 0.25 hectares in area and is occupied by the former Redfern Police Station and Court House buildings. The Court House building fronts Redfern Street and is identified as a heritage item in the South Sydney Local Environmental Plan. It is a significant building element in the Redfern Street streetscape. Access to an existing laneway on the western boundary of the site is closed.

Both the Local Court House and the Police Station Building are vacant. As a result they do not contribute to the activation of either Redfern or Turner Streets.

To the rear of the site is the Police Station Building which comprises 2 storeys and is accessed via Turner Lane. The building does not warrant retention.

A group of terrace houses are located south of the site the opposite side of Turner Street. Redfern Street is characterised by retail and commercial uses.

Existing land use zone

The site is zoned ‘Special Uses - Police’ under the South Sydney Local Environmental Plan. Permissible uses in the zone are limited to a Police station, as well as permissible uses in adjacent zones (in this case residential and business zones).

Proposed land use concept

Predominantly business uses in the Local Court House building and residential uses in any new development at the rear of the site to increase activity and surveillance along the street.

Diagram 4.13 [366 KB] illustrates the proposed land use concept for the site.

Proposed design concept

Respond to character and built form of surrounding development with transition from 3 storeys along Turner Street up to 6 storeys.

Protect the heritage of the site:

• retaining the Court House building and facilitating its adaptive reuse in a manner which is sensitive to the existing structure and its heritage significance

• ensuring new development to the rear of the site responds to the heritage significance of the Court House

• ensuring that the form and massing of new development at the rear of the site does not visually dominate the Court House as viewed from Redfern Street

• providing adequate separation between the Court House and new development at the rear.

Activate the public domain and site frontages to Redfern Street and Turner Street by:

• upgrading the setback from the Court House to Redfern Street with appropriate landscaping

• reinforcing building entry including appropriate lighting and materials

• building to the street boundary along Turner Street to reinforce the existing built form and provide surveillance of the street.

Ensure the provision of open space:

• as part of any new development for the use by future occupants of the site

• for all new dwellings

• that has good solar access

• with quality landscaping.

The proposed heights and floor space ratio for the site are illustrated in Diagram 4.14 [370 KB].

Proposed land use zone

Business Zone - Local Centre