Green Square and Southern Areas Retail Study 2008
The City of Sydney engaged consultants Jones Lang LaSalle and Hassell to prepare a Retail Study for Green Square and the southern areas of the City, including parts of the suburbs of Alexandria, Beaconsfield, Rosebery, Waterloo and Zetland.
The Retail Study was commissioned to provide Council with direction in planning for retail development in the southern areas of the City where significant redevelopment is taking place. Another aim of the Retail Study is to develop strategies to make sure the Green Square Town Centre becomes the primary retail and community centre for the south.
The Retail Study has been used to develop the City Plan, the consolidated Local Environmental Plan (LEP) and Development Control Plan (DCP) for the City of Sydney.
Public Exhibition
Council on 12 May 2008 and the CSPC on 8 May 2008 considered the Draft Retail Study (dated February 2008). Council and the CSPC noted the Retail Study as a document that will inform the preparation of the City Plan LEP and DCP, and resolved that the Retail Study be placed on non-statutory public exhibition. The Retail Study was exhibited from Wednesday 28 May 2008 to Wednesday 25 June 2008. A number of submissions were received from landowners, State agencies and other stakeholders. The submissions were reviewed, and our responses to the submissions and the finalised Retail Study were reported to Council on 3 November 2008 and to the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) on 30 October 2008. Click here to see the officer’s report to Council with the response to submissions as an attachment to this report.
Council’s Resolution-November 2008
Following the review of submissions and the finalisation of the Retail Study, Council on 3 November 2008 and the Central Sydney Planning Committee (CSPC) on 30 October 2008 resolved to:
- endorse the recommended centres hierarchy;
- endorse the recommendation to restrict retail development outside of the endorsed centres.
- note that Retail Study be used to inform the preparation of City Plan; and
- note that the Retail Study be used to inform the assessment of development applications in Green Square and the Southern Industrial Area.
A copy of the Council’s and CSPC’s resolutions are available for download.
Council's Resolution - February 2010
Council on Council on 22 February 2010 and CSPC on 18 February 2010 resolved to amend the November 2008 resolution of Council to:
"(A) Widen the area in which the Green Square and Southern Areas Retail Study (September 2008) must be considered in the preparation and assessment of development applications to the 'Green Square Town Centre Primary Trade Area' as shown at Attachment B to the subject report; and
(B) Specifically nominate Ashmore Precinct as a Village Centre within the retail hierarchy."
You can view a map of the endorsed hierarchy and the Green Square Town Centre Trade Area:
The relevant Council report can be found here.
Application of the Council Resolution
To achieve the objectives of the Retail Study, Council's resolution requires that retail development outside of centres must be 'minor' (resolution of November 2008) and have a maximum floorplate size of retail shops of 750 sqm. Since November 2008, the Retail Study and the Council resolutions have been consistently applied to the assessment of development for retail in the Green Square Town Centre primary trade area.
Translation into City Plan LEP and DCP controls
The draft City Plan LEP and DCP are currently on public exhibition. You can read about the draft City Plan here.
In summary, the City Plan LEP will reinforce the endorsed hierarchy through the land use zoning. Major retail premises, such as supermarkets will be permitted in the centres. Outside of centres only minor retail premises will be permissible with consent. To read more about this, see the Community and Retail Centres in Green Square Fact Sheet here.
The 1,000 sqm 'cap' on Retail Premises
The City had been using a figure of 750 square metres to define 'minor retail' based on advice from the authors of the 2008 Retail Study and the City's own qualitative research. In February 2010, the City engaged SGS Planning Pty Ltd to review this cap and recommend the best cap to define minor retail in the City Plan LEP. The report, titled 'Research Paper – Minor Retail Development in Green Square and the Southern Areas (August 2010)' found that 'minor retail development' is a retail premises with a gross floor area of less than 1,000 square metres. You can download the report here.
It was determined that the larger figure of 1000sqm be used in the draft City Plan LEP 2011 to define 'minor retail' because it is less restrictive than the earlier 750 square metre benchmark, but will still ensure the success of the planned centres.
Downloads
Green Square and Southern Areas Retail Study 2008
- Final Report Chapters 1 - 5 | PDF 4.5Mb
- Final Report Chapters 6 - 10 | PDF 5Mb
Resolutions
- Council Resolution - 3 November 2008 | PDF 126Kb
- CSPC Resolution - 30 October 2008 | PDF 111Kb
Research Paper - Minor Retail Development in Green Square and the Southern Areas (August 2010)
- SGS Research Paper Minor Retail | PDF 981Kb
More Information
For further information please contact:
Jane Grose
Specialist Planner
City Plan Development Unit – Green Square
Email: jgrose@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au
Tel: 02 9265 9346
Please Note: While care is taken to ensure accuracy, the City of Sydney cannot guarantee that information expressed here is correct and recommends that users exercise their own skill and care with respect to its use. The City of Sydney makes no warranty or undertaking, whether expressed or implied, nor does it assume any legal liability, whether direct or indirect.
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Last Updated: Tuesday 15 February, 2011
