Burwood panel refuses church timing bid at Croydon Park site

Burwood Local Planning Panel has refused a modification application for the church at 10 Daisy Street, Croydon Park, while backing a 12-month trial of two on-street drop-off and pick-up spaces outside the site. The panel dealt with both parts of the request at its 21 May meeting and made each decision unanimously.

The refused proposal sought to extend the arrival time for church officers, described in the minutes as Deacons, deaconesses and Choir, from 30 minutes to 90 minutes before services. The panel said the change would create excessive and unacceptable impacts on neighbourhood amenity, with more pressure on on-street parking and traffic, and that approval would not be in the public interest under the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The same meeting supported a separate arrangement for the two existing on-street spaces immediately in front of the church. They can be used as temporary drop-off and pick-up spots during the 9:30am to 11:00am adult worship service on Sundays, for a 12-month trial from the date the signs are installed.

The panel said the arrangement is safer than the current setup, which requires a significant number of vehicles to reverse into or out of the site. It also noted that a 2019 Land and Environment Court decision contemplated such an arrangement, and that Council’s Traffic and Design Engineer raised no technical objection.

The panel also referred community concerns about the church’s compliance with its existing conditions of consent to Council’s Community Safety team. It noted the level of community submissions and the issues raised about parking, traffic and compliance at the site.

If the trial is to continue beyond 12 months, the applicant must lodge a further application three months before it ends. Before any signs, parking restrictions or other traffic measures start, Council must approve the amended Plan of Management and the traffic and parking details. The applicant must also pay the costs of design, installation, maintenance and removal of the measures.

The meeting also backed a planning proposal to amend Clause 6.5 of the Burwood Local Environmental Plan 2012. The change would require a competitive design process for certain new buildings above 55 metres, or more than 17 storeys, before development consent can be granted.

The panel recommended the proposal proceed to Gateway Determination and suggested Council consider clearer criteria for when projects go through a design competition or design review panel. The same meeting was held at the Burwood Library on 21 May 2026 and closed at 6:33 pm.