4.8 Former Redfern Public School - Draft

The Former Redfern Public School is located at 160-202 George Street, Redfern. The site is bounded by residential development to the north, Phillip Street to the south, George Street to the east and Cope Street to the west.

Existing characteristics

The site has an area of 1.6 hectares of land and is dissected by Renwick Street, extending north south through the centre of the site. Five former school buildings occupy the site. The two storey Victorian Buildings on the site are listed as items of local heritage significance under South Sydney Local Environmental Plan. The school site includes a playing field on its western boundary at Cope Street and a car park on its northern boundary.

The Murawina Child Care Centre operates from one of the school buildings. The majority of the site is not used and access to the playing fields, once used by pupils has been boarded up.

The site is located within a landscaped setting surrounded by terrace houses to the east, Department of Housing towers to the south and mixed use medium density development to the west. Some of the buildings on Phillip Street have graffiti and are vandalised.

Renwick Street terminates as a vehicular link at the northern end of the site and continues to Phillip Street as a pedestrian/cycle link. The amenity and safety of this link can be improved.

The site and existing school buildings provide an important view termination from the south.

Existing land use zone

The site is currently zoned ‘Special Uses – School’ under the South Sydney Local Environmental Plan. Permissible uses within the zone are restricted to schools and supporting uses, as well as permissible uses in adjacent zones (in this case mixed use and residential zones).

Proposed land uses concept

Community, recreational and educational uses. Permit serviced apartments, hotel accommodation, hostel, motel and other accommodation related or ancillary to community, recreational or educational purposes.

Diagram 4.15 [455 KB] illustrates the proposed land use concept for the site.

Proposed design concept

Respect the character and built form of the site and provide an appropriate interface to surrounding development by:

• ensuring development responds to the scale, form and design of surrounding development

• ensuring the height of new development provides a transition between the lower scale terrace housing to the north and east, the medium scale mixed use development to the west and tower development to the south on Phillip Street

• ensuring development responds to the smaller lot sizes and widths that are characteristic of adjacent terrace house development.

Protect the heritage of the site by:

• ensuring new development responds sensitively to significant heritage items

• encouraging, where practical, the adaptive re-use of significant heritage items associated with the former school use

• encouraging the reinterpretation of heritage through the reuse of heritage materials and fabric in any redevelopment.

Maximise accessibility to and within the site by:

• providing a new east west vehicle, pedestrian and cycle link between Cope Street and George Street

• extending Renwick Street through to Phillip Street

• creating new vehicular, pedestrian and cycle entry points from Cope Street, Phillip Street and Renwick Street.

Ensure the provision of open space:

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

• around buildings to enhance the visual setting of the site

• for the existing childcare centre

• that is appropriately designed, sized and landscaped for its intended purpose

• that has good solar access.

Improve safety and security for future occupants of the site, surrounding development and pedestrians by:

• ensuring active uses adjoin and overlook existing and new open space and pedestrian links to maximise surveillance

• ensuring new development provides active non–residential uses along ground level street frontages to improve passive surveillance

• ensuring appropriate landscaping, lighting and good design of civic spaces, streets and pedestrian paths.

Protect local views to and through the site.

The proposed heights and floor space for the site are illustrated in Diagram 4.16 [462 KB].

Proposed land use zone

Special Purpose Zone – Community