4.8 Former Redfern
Public School
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 along
George Street
are listed as items of local heritage significance under South Sydney Local
Environmental Plan. The school site includes a playing field on the western
boundary at Cope Street
and a car park on the 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 south western part of the site, fronting Phillip Street is
currently occupied by the Salvation Army.
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 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 LEP. 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). The south western part of the site
is zoned ‘Special Uses – Community Centre’.
Proposed land uses
concept
Community, recreational/sporting and educational uses.
Permit serviced apartments, hotel accommodation, hostel, motel and other
accommodation related or ancillary to community, recreational or educational
purposes.
Mixed business and residential in the south-western corner
of the site.
Diagram 4.15 (pdf ~447kb) 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 the adjacent terrace house development.
Protect the heritage of the site by:
- identifying
heritage items on the site in accordance with the Heritage Strategy in
Section 3.5 - ensuring
new development retains, restores and reuses heritage items - ensuring
new development responds sensitively to significant heritage items - encouraging
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.
The provision and configuration of open space is to:
- be
in accordance with the Open Space and Public Domain Strategy in Section 3.3 - ensure
a high level of amenity for new developments by providing adequate open
space within and around new development parcels - be
located and designed to achieve an adequate level of privacy and
separation between uses, in particular adjacent residential development - have
good solar access - be
appropriately designed and landscaped with planting, paving, lighting and
benches and furniture.
The open space (oval) along Cope Street will be primarily used by the
land owner to provide facilities for sports training. The owner will be
responsible for managing public access to the site.
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
appropriate landscaping, lighting and good design of streets and
pedestrian paths - discouraging
blank facades and extensive car parking and servicing areas along public
streets: George, Phillip and Cope Streets.
Protect local views to and through the site.
The proposed heights and floor space for the site are
illustrated in Diagram 4.16 (pdf ~515kb).
Proposed land use
zone
- Special
Purpose Zone – Community - Business
Zone – Mixed Use - Recreation
Zone – Private Recreation