A major 10-storey residential flat building with a significant affordable housing component is set to reshape the western edge of Lindfield’s town centre, reflecting the NSW Government’s push for higher-density, well-located housing near transit. The $81.8 million proposal for 12–16 Bent Street has now been approved with conditions by the Director, Affordable Housing Assessments, under delegated authority from the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces.
Project Overview
The development comprises 111 apartments—85 market and 26 affordable—across a single 10-storey building with three levels of basement parking. Of the affordable dwellings, 23 will be managed as affordable housing for at least 15 years, and three in perpetuity. The scheme delivers a total gross floor area of 13,801m², with 1,174m² of communal open space and 126 resident parking spaces. The site, spanning 4,324m², sits within 220 metres of Lindfield train station and multiple bus routes, and is not affected by heritage listings or conservation areas.
Strategic and Policy Context
The proposal leverages recent state planning reforms, including the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021 and the introduction of Transport Oriented Development (TOD) controls, which incentivise density and affordable housing near transit. Although the TOD controls were largely removed from Ku-ring-gai LGA in June 2025, the subject site retained these provisions due to the timing of its application. The project is consistent with the state’s housing supply targets and aligns with the evolving planning framework for Lindfield, which anticipates a transition to higher-density forms around the station.
Design and Architectural Intent
The building adopts a stepped massing, with bulk concentrated towards the future Drovers Way and the Lindfield Village Hub (LVH) site, and lower-scale elements adjacent to existing townhouses. Articulation, generous setbacks, and landscaped buffers aim to mediate between the emerging high-density context and established low-rise dwellings. The design was refined in response to State Design Review Panel (SDRP) feedback, with increased setbacks, reduced bulk at the south-western corner, and improved communal spaces. The scheme includes a rooftop terrace, ground-level gardens, and internal amenities such as a gym and sauna.
Community and Stakeholder Response
Public exhibition drew 10 submissions: six objections, two in support, and two comments. Ku-ring-gai Council lodged a formal objection, citing incompatibility with the desired future character, excessive bulk and site coverage, inadequate setbacks and landscaping, and compromised amenity for affordable apartments. Council also raised concerns about overshadowing, privacy, and the adequacy of technical documentation. Public objectors echoed these themes, highlighting scale, loss of trees, overshadowing, traffic, heritage, and infrastructure concerns. Three state agencies provided advice: Transport for NSW raised no issues; Heritage NSW had no objection subject to conditions; and the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water sought clarification on drainage and overland flow path design.
Impacts and Assessment Findings
The Department’s assessment found the proposal’s density (FSR 3.19:1) complies with the maximum permitted (3.25:1), and that most of the building sits within the 28.6m height limit, with minor exceedances (up to 5.2m) limited to rooftop elements and justified by site topography. The Department accepted a clause 4.6 variation for these breaches, finding no unreasonable amenity or overshadowing impacts. The scheme’s setbacks and massing were deemed appropriate for the transitioning context, with the bulk directed away from sensitive low-density interfaces.
Residential amenity was assessed as generally consistent with the Apartment Design Guide (ADG), though minor shortfalls in solar access (70.3% of apartments achieve 2 hours in mid-winter; 18.9% receive none) and cross-ventilation (56.8% of apartments, excluding those relying on plenum systems) were identified. The Department imposed conditions requiring further wind tunnel testing or design amendments to ensure adequate natural ventilation. Overshadowing impacts on neighbouring properties were found acceptable, with the Department noting that any compliant development would cast similar shadows. Traffic impacts were assessed as low, with conditions requiring implementation of a Green Travel Plan.
Determination Outcome and Reasons
The Director, Affordable Housing Assessments, approved the application subject to conditions. Decisive factors included the project’s alignment with state housing policy, compliance with key planning controls, and the acceptability of impacts in the context of Lindfield’s planned transition to higher density. Conditions address privacy (additional screening), interim and ultimate treatment of the Drovers Way interface, design quality (materials and reflectivity), and technical matters such as drainage and ventilation. The Department concluded the scheme is in the public interest, balancing housing supply objectives with local amenity considerations.
Project Team
- Developer: Sundale Northland Development Pty Ltd
- Planning: Willowtree Planning (NSW) Pty Ltd
- Community Housing Provider: Link Wentworth
- Architect: PTW Architects
- Urban Design: HATCH RobertsDay
- Landscape Architect: Clouston Associates
- Civil Engineer / Stormwater / Water Management: ADP Consulting Engineers
- Traffic and Transport: Traffix
- Acoustic Consultant: Acoustic Logic (Noise & Vibration Impact Assessment)
- Waste Management: LG Consult
- Environmental Sustainability (ESD) & NatHERS/BASIX: Sustainable Building Consultants
- Aboriginal Heritage Consultant: Yerrabingin (Connecting with Country + ACHAR)
- Heritage Consultant: City Plan Heritage
- Contamination and Geotechnical: EI Australia (Geotechnical, Salinity, Contamination)
- Surveying: SDG Land Development Solutions
- Construction Traffic Management Plan: Traffix
- Access and BCA Consultant: Vic Lilli & Partners
- Social Impact Assessment: Cred Consulting
- Arborist: Australis Tree Management
For more information, search the application number (SSD-78156462) on the NSW Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure’s website.
