59.6% lot-size shortfall and waste access concerns sink Burwood co-living plan

A 323.4-square-metre site at 64 Wentworth Road, Burwood, will not become an eight-storey, 27-room co-living development after the Burwood Local Planning Panel unanimously refused the proposal.

The panel found the development did not demonstrate a satisfactory long-term waste-servicing arrangement. It also said the basement access design and proposed waste-servicing method had not shown that commercial vehicles could operate satisfactorily under AS 2890.2, the standard for off-street commercial vehicle facilities.

The proposal called for the demolition of the existing single-storey dwelling and ancillary structures, followed by construction of the co-living building above one level of basement parking.

Its site area was 476.6 square metres, or 59.6 per cent, below the 800-square-metre minimum lot size for co-living housing under the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. The panel was not satisfied that the applicant had justified the variation through its Clause 4.6 written request.

The panel also found the proposal inconsistent with minimum communal open-space requirements and Burwood Council’s planning objectives for landscaping and open space. It said the development would provide poor amenity for future occupants and failed to demonstrate design excellence, partly because of the unresolved long-term waste-collection outcome.

The refusal cited unacceptable operational impacts from waste servicing and commercial vehicle access on residents, neighbouring properties and the public domain. Any future application for 64 Wentworth Road would need to address those issues, along with the planning-standard and resident-amenity concerns identified by the panel.