Light Her Path: Re-development of Wilkinson House and the Planning Process
This week, there was media interest in the re-development of Wilkinson House and we wanted to share an overview of the development process. We are very grateful for the community support for the re-development which is part of the School’s long-term strategic plan and at the centre of this year’s Light Her Path Campaign.
Wilkinson House, on the corner of Forbes and St Peters Streets, is currently used as classrooms, was formerly the School’s boarding house and previously residential flats. The current building is not fit for purpose, and the re-development project aims to ensure the School can make the most of our small footprint of inner-city land and provide our students with a contemporary learning environment.
Conditional Development Consent was granted by the Independent Planning Commission (IPC) in May 2020 to the concept development of the SCEGGS Campus in three stages. The IPC did not approve the application for the demolition of Wilkinson House and construction of a new replacement building.
SCEGGS considered the feedback from the IPC and undertook a design competition which resulted in the selection of Smart Design Studio as project architect to develop a new vision for Wilkinson House.
In embarking on the revised plans, architect William Smart said, “Transforming Wilkinson House into an excellent learning environment is not a simple task, nor is it driven by a desire to change the appearance of the building. Most of the proposed changes are created to achieve compliance with building codes and standards, which have changed dramatically since the creation of this building.
Our design focuses on maximising the internal space available and creating an environment that is sustainable, accessible, safe, efficient, durable and highly functional. We’ve proposed minimal changes to the exterior so that the building will continue to read as a handsome Emil Sodersten brick building for a long time into the future.”
Community and stakeholder engagement on the new plans for Wilkinson house was undertaken during August 2021. Engagement comprised a community information and feedback meeting with Thompson Street residents and the East Sydney Neighbours Association (ESNA) in attendance. A separate information and feedback session was undertaken with residents of the Horizon building.
There was overwhelming support for the concept which incorporated the retention of most of the Wilkinson House façade and the retention and reuse of significant building features. Feedback also highlighted concerns relating to traffic access and the management of construction vehicles during construction and the management of noise and dust issues associated with the project.
As required by the Concept approval for the Master Plan, the School prepared a Heritage Conservation Management Plan for the entire campus in consultation with the City of Sydney and the Department of Planning which was approved in December 2021.
Revised plans and specialists reports for the adaptive reuse of Wilkinson House were submitted to the NSW Department of Planning and Environment in December 2021 to undergo the required “Test-of-Adequacy” prior to formal assessment.
Supplementary information was requested, prepared and the formal Development Application, which included separate Heritage Conservation Management Plan for Wilkinson House, was lodged in February 2022 and placed on public exhibition between 7 March and 5 April 2022.
Of the seven submissions that were received following public exhibition, six were from residents of the Horizon building solely concerned with noise, disruption and traffic during the build along with the ongoing traffic management in Forbes Street and St Peters Street. The additional submission was from the City of Sydney Council related to the above, along with some points relating to heritage aspects of the proposal. The school prepared and submitted a formal response to the submissions received as part of the planning and development process.
We have been very fortunate to have so much support through the development process – through our heritage consultants, architects, and their ongoing consultation with the heritage specialists in the City of Sydney’s planning assessment team, the Department of Planning and other key stakeholders. We are very pleased with the progress to date and the fact that we can create an important future for Wilkinson House while respecting the heritage and history of the building.
We are currently in the final stages of the approval process having addressed key issues raised in the submissions received following the consultation process and exhibition period and maintained ongoing discussions with both the Department of Planning and City of Sydney Council. We are hopeful that a conditional consent may be issued during Term 3. The tender process and commencement of works will then be planned to commence as soon as possible.
The Capital Campaign Committee
