Randwick panel refuses Coogee co-living plan at 171 Arden Street

Randwick Local Planning Panel has refused a co-living development at 171 Arden Street, Coogee, at its electronic meeting on 14 May 2026. The panel said the proposal raised unresolved amenity and safety concerns and conflicted with planning policy.

The minutes say the panel refused the application because it would set an undesirable precedent and because it conflicted with relevant State Government and Council planning policies.

The refusal covers a co-living proposal. The excerpt provided does not include the full report title or all of the application details for the site.

The same meeting also dealt with 34 Mermaid Avenue, Maroubra, where the panel accepted a written request to vary the height standard under the Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012.

Consent was granted for demolition of existing structures and construction of a three-storey dwelling house with basement parking, storage, plant rooms, a foyer, swimming pool, excavation and associated works, subject to conditions.

For 34 Mermaid Avenue, the panel found compliance with the height standard was unreasonable and unnecessary in the circumstances and that there were sufficient environmental planning grounds to justify the variation.

It also amended condition 2(a) so the front setback of the ground and first floor balcony must be reduced so that no part protrudes forward of the orange marked line shown on the plans.

The Coogee refusal sits alongside another co-living matter decided at the same meeting. The panel also refused a separate review application at 21 Forsyth Street, Kingsford.

That refusal cited shortfalls in communal living space, communal open space, parking, amenity and safety, and said the site had not been adequately demonstrated as suitable for the use.

For residents near 34 Mermaid Avenue, the approved works include demolition and excavation. For neighbours of 171 Arden Street, the co-living proposal will not proceed in its current form.