by Ian Stephenson, Bulletin 3/2022, May 2022
Last Wednesday the demolition of 17-31 Cowper St commenced. This sensitively designed low-rise infill public housing complex with its beautiful internal courtyard is to be replaced by two eight-storey buildings.
The same week the NSW Land and Housing Corporation advised Hands off Glebe that they are investigating ‘the opportunity to renew 82 Wentworth Park Road in order to understand its potential to deliver more social housing on the site.
82 Wentworth Park Rd was also designed in the late 1980s by the NSW Housing Commission. It is a fine building which respects the character and topography of Glebe while providing great amenity for residents. It is located in a heritage conservation area. Its redevelopment has serious implications for the historic context of Glebe and is likely to impact on views of Glebe from the east and from Glebe across Wentworth Park, especially Bellevue St.
2 comments. Please add yours.
Thanks for your feedback Stephen.
In our view, good development respects its context, reduces greenhouse emissions, provides good amenity for residents and doesn’t waste money. The redevelopment in Cowper Street and at 82 Wentworth Park Road fails on all four counts. It’s not win, win but lose, lose, lose, lose. The buildings should be refurbished, not demolished and additional density provided by low rise infill. That would be win, win.
Ian Stephenson
The redevelopment will double the public and social housing on the existing site in a more environmentally stainable building sounds like a win win