Millers Point and Walsh Bay Heritage Review (March 2007) Recommendations
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ATTACHMENT E ATTACHMENT E MILLERS POINT AND WALSH BAY HERITAGE REVIEW (MARCH 2007) RECOMMENDATIONS Note: The final Millers Point and Walsh Bay Heritage Review (March 2007) can be viewed on Council’s website at: http://www.cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au/Development/HeritageInformation/ MillersPointAndWalshBayHeritage.asp ATTACHMENT E 6.0 RECOMMENDATIONS This section sets out the recommendations that arise from this study. They relate to the creation of a Heritage Conservation Area, identification of places of individual heritage significance, planning considerations and management of both the private and public aspects of the study area. The recommendations are proposed within the framework that the whole of the area is of very high heritage value, that overall it should be retained and managed as it is currently being managed and that there should not be major or dramatic changes to the area or its character. It is also noted that there is limited opportunity for new buildings or elements to be added to the area, the recent development having occupied most of the vacant and available development sites. 6.1 Heritage Conservation Area 1 It is recommended that the appropriate form of heritage protection for the area is the recognition of a Millers Point/Walsh Bay Heritage Conservation Area in the City of Sydney LEP Schedule. This changes the status of the area from the current ‘Special Area’ LEP listing. This would be consistent with the planning management of other areas of heritage significance within the broader City of Sydney local government area and can provide uniform controls and management. 2 The proposed revised area boundary should be adopted as the Heritage Conservation Area boundary as set out in figure 6.1 and 6.2. This reflects the boundary of the area as it is now found (in relation to adjacent areas), removes elements that properly belong to those adjacent areas within the boundaries of those areas and removes the major high-rise development at the southern edge of the study area along Kent Street that more correctly belongs with the central city area than in the smaller scale of the Millers Point area. The proposed heritage conservation area’s edges have been carefully defined to include topographical features that are important to the character of the area. 3 The NSW Heritage Council should be requested to adjust their State Heritage Register listing boundary to align with the proposed Heritage Conservation Area. The two areas (the proposed Heritage Conservation Area and the current State Heritage Area boundary) are quite closely aligned in their boundaries at present but it would be preferable to have all listings adopting the same boundary so that there is consistency in the application of both the City of Sydney and the NSW Heritage Office approvals processes (refer to the proposed and existing area boundary maps - Figures 6.1 and 6.2). 4 That the amended Millers Point LEP Character Statement be adopted for the proposed Heritage Conservation Area reflecting the extended boundaries and outcomes of this study. The current character statement (Appendix 4) contained in the LEP 2005, Schedule 6 Character Statement and Objectives for Special Areas, has been reviewed and expanded to encompass the broader boundaries of the proposed Heritage Conservation Area with the wharf areas and the impact of the early twentieth century port improvements. The character statement as revised is: Millers Point - Character statement The Miller’s Point area is highly significant, as one of Sydney’s earliest suburbs developed to serve the nearby port. It was the location of windmills, quarries, Millers Point and Walsh Bay Heritage Review Final Report March 2007 Paul Davies Pty Ltd 151 ATTACHMENT E observatories, fortifications and maritime activities from colonial times. Built evidence remains of some of these as well as early Victorian workers’ terraces and grander Victorian townhouses and villas. Much of the area has high archaeological potential. The area contains a residential community, which is unique in city terms for its strong identity and self-containment with employment, housing and community facilities available within the area. Government ownership has played an important role in the area with successive demolitions and redevelopments since the Darling Harbour Resumptions in the early 1900s, the involvement of the Sydney Harbour Trust from 1908, the Housing Board in the inter-war period and more recently the Department of Housing. Much of the 1908 reconstruction of the wharves and adjacent residential precinct remains today. The area’s steep, coastal topography and early development in combination with the extensive 1908 development phase of ports, warehousing and residences have generated its character and built form with evidence of quarrying, retaining walls, and a public domain, which includes public staircases, laneways, pedestrian pathways, bridges, and parks of a variety of scales. The area south, along Kent Street, forms a transition in scale to the city with 2-storey development providing the dominant character. There is a significant change in level to the west with the lower building addressing Hickson Road. The area affords significant views to and from the water and of the Harbour Bridge. A significant panorama of the Harbour and the City is gained from Observatory Hill to north and west. The area is characterised by a fine grained subdivision pattern for residential areas, the broad and consistent form and scale of the wharf buildings and bond stores, the use of sandstone and other traditional building materials, 2-3 storey residential terraces, similar scaled commercial buildings (often pubs) defining the corners and the use of pitched roofs. While there is a consistency of materials, scale and and form, a variety of styles and street alignment are represented, with many of the terraces setback at street level. The area provides an historically interesting and significant blend of early development overlaid with successive major facilities developments related to port activities and residential accommodation. The area as now found has relatively few new buildings or additions after the major early twentieth century port development phase allowing it to retain much of that character despite changes of use of the port buildings. Objectives The objectives for this proposed HCA are (a) to ensure that any new development respects the adjoining development and maintains the predominantly two storey residential character of the residential areas and the predominant and large scale form and character of the wharf areas, (b) to conserve and reinforce the heritage significance of this HCA, (c) to ensure that any new building respects the adjoining buildings in siting, scale, form and use of materials, (d) to limit the amount and type of non-residential uses, to ensure the social and cultural mix of Millers Pont is maintained, (e) to maintain significant existing views and vistas into and out of the precinct to the water and Harbour Bridge north and to the city south, and Observatory Park, (f) to ensure that the social and cultural mix of Millers Point is maintained, (g) to conserve the continuity of Millers Point and adapt to meet the continuing needs of the significant uses. Millers Point and Walsh Bay Heritage Review Final Report March 2007 Paul Davies Pty Ltd 152 ATTACHMENT E 5 That the City of Sydney Heritage Development Control Plan provisions be applied to protect the special and particular character of the Millers Point/Dawes Point/Walsh Bay area. The proposed Heritage Conservation Area is unique in that it brings together port activity, small scale residential areas, civic spaces and public open space in a close knit integrated area with a distinctive character and inter-relationship not often found in Heritage Conservation Areas. The character statement in combination with the DCP controls provide a strong basis to guide future development but also to provide consistency in the application of heritage principles across Heritage Conservation Areas within the City of Sydney area. 6 That all of the streets in the proposed Heritage Conservation Area be included on the significant streets register of Council for their high heritage significance. All of the streetscapes, lanes and walkways within the proposed Heritage Conservation Area are of high value and should be included on the street register. This has been confirmed by the analysis set out in this report. 7 That Council adopt the significant views set out in this study and protect them as part of Council’s broader view study. 6.2 Heritage items 8 The places identified in the study as heritage items (both existing listed places and additional places) be gazetted as heritage items in the City of Sydney LEP. Most places within the proposed Heritage Conservation Area have been recognised as having high heritage value and are already included as heritage items on the LEP, the few remaining places (of heritage value) that are not listed should be included to achieve consistency across the area. The study recommends additional places for several reasons. Firstly, an expanded area including the wharves has been included within the City of Sydney Area requiring places previously identified by other authorities and in other studies to be entered onto the City of Sydney heritage schedule. This is consolidating existing established listings. The second group are a small number of places that have not been previously included on a heritage schedule but which have similar heritage values to places already included. If for no other reason, on the basis of consistency these places are recommended to be listed. It is not known why these places have been previously overlooked but this study has clearly identified them as having sufficient heritage significance to be recommended as Heritage Items. Individual inventory sheets that provide a full assessment of the heritage value of each of these properties are provided as part of this study.