planning · Randwick City Council
3-1 split rejects 239 Darley Road garage over sandstone wall
A 3-1 vote rejected the 239 Darley Road proposal after three panel members opposed removing part of a Council sandstone wall for a garage and new access works.
A 3-1 vote has refused a proposal for a double garage, new driveway crossing and relocated public stairs at 239 Darley Road, Randwick, after panel members opposed partial demolition of a Council sandstone retaining wall.
Community representative Laurie O'Connor voted for DA/77/2026, saying the works would improve safety and access for the owners, occupiers and visitors. Chair Julie Walsh and expert members David Epstein and Awais Piracha voted against the application.
The proposal included alterations and additions to the existing dwelling, partial demolition of the sandstone wall, relocated public pedestrian stairs, a new driveway crossing, a double garage with internal lift access, a terrace above the garage and associated landscaping works.
The Randwick Local Planning Panel refused consent under section 4.16 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979. Its reasons included adverse streetscape impacts from removing the wall, non-compliance with heritage-conservation provisions in the Randwick Local Environmental Plan 2012 and heritage controls in the Randwick Development Control Plan.
The panel also cited landscaping and tree-canopy controls, earthworks, parking and garage requirements, including the minimum internal garage width under Australian Standard 2890.1. It found the proposal would have an unacceptable visual and physical impact on the North Randwick Heritage Conservation Area and would set an undesirable precedent for further changes to sandstone walls.
All panel members noted that parts of the existing sandstone wall needed restoration. O'Connor supported the application because of its proposed safety and access benefits, while the other three members opposed the heritage and streetscape impacts of removing part of the wall for the garage.
The panel also refused DA/79/2026 for 241 Darley Road, which included similar sandstone-wall, access, garage and landscaping works. It refused an application for 263 and 265 Darley Road involving tree removal, sandstone-wall demolition, relocated pedestrian stairs and double garages.
Reference minutes
Randwick City Council, Randwick Local Planning Panel (Public) meeting, 7 August 2026.
Key facts from the minutes
- DA/77/2026 for 239 Darley Road was refused under section 4.16 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.
- The vote was 3-1 against, with community representative Laurie O'Connor voting for approval.
- The proposal included a double garage, new driveway crossing, relocated public pedestrian stairs and partial demolition of a Council sandstone wall.
- Refusal reasons included heritage, streetscape, landscaping, tree-canopy, earthworks, parking and garage-width concerns.
- The site is within or affects the North Randwick Heritage Conservation Area.
- Applications for 241 and 263-265 Darley Road were also refused.
Why it matters
- The proposed garage, driveway and stair works at 239 Darley Road cannot proceed in their submitted form, with heritage and public-domain concerns outweighing the access and safety benefits cited by the community representative.