Urban Digest

IPC Clears 18-Storey Apartment Complex Near Epping Station

September 4, 2025

Street-level view of proposed mixed-use residential towers at 242–244 Beecroft Road, Epping, featuring articulated façades, rooftop greenery, and stepped building heights.

An amended concept and detailed design for a mixed-use development at 242–244 Beecroft Road, Epping has received approval from the NSW Independent Planning Commission. The approval paves the way for a significant uplift in apartments and affordable housing.

Dasco Property Development Services leads the project. It is located on a 10,137m² site at the north-western edge of the Epping Town Centre, within the City of Parramatta local government area. The amended design will deliver 479 apartments across five buildings. These buildings range from 7 to 18 storeys. The development also allocates 15% of the gross floor area to affordable housing for a 15-year period.

From Concept to Expansion

The site already had development consent under SSD-8784, granted in July 2020. This approval allowed a mixed-use complex with five buildings and 374 apartments, along with up to 1,000m² of commercial space. In September 2024, the Independent Planning Commission approved the detailed design (SSD-31576972).

In 2025, Dasco submitted concurrent amendments to both approvals. These amendments sought to benefit from incentives in the State Environmental Planning Policy (Housing) 2021. This policy permits a 30% uplift in floor space and height if a project includes at least 15% affordable housing.

Key amendments include:

Adding 105 new dwellings.
Increasing the building height to 62.4m (up to 18 storeys).
Expanding the total GFA from 38,613m² to 49,829m².
Adding a fourth basement level and 193 more car spaces (559 total).
Enhancing communal areas to 4,438m², now including rooftop pools and a cinema.

The affordable housing component increases from 5% to 15% of GFA. This includes 81 dwellings managed by a registered community housing provider under a planning agreement.

Site and Strategic Context

The site is only 280 metres from Epping Station and nearby bus services. This makes it highly accessible via public transport. It also lies near schools, parks, and shops. The location supports the idea of a 30-minute city, where residents can live, work, and recreate within half an hour of home.

Strategically, the site is within the Central River City under the Greater Sydney Region Plan. It aligns with the Central City District Plan and Parramatta Local Strategic Planning Statement. These strategies encourage housing growth in transit-accessible areas. In addition, Epping is identified as a focus area under the Sydney Metro Northwest Corridor Strategy.

The project contributes to precinct-level renewal. It adds housing diversity and aligns with state-led urban growth goals.

Artist impression by Turner

Design Amendments and Layout Changes

Each of the five buildings will increase in height:

Building A: 8 storeys (up from 7)
Building B: 16 storeys (up from 13)
Building C: 18 storeys (up from 14)
Building D: 7 storeys (up from 5)
Building E: 17 storeys (up from 13)

Dasco also refined building footprints to improve solar access, cross-ventilation, and circulation. Setbacks and facade treatments were updated to enhance street appeal along Beecroft and Ray Roads.

Unit mix changes include:

94 one-bedroom units (up from 72)
238 two-bedroom units (up from 184)
147 three-bedroom units (up from 118)

More than 20% of apartments now meet Liveable Housing silver-level accessibility standards. The communal areas include rooftop pools, indoor lounges, gardens, a gym, and a cinema. Deep soil zones cover 2,116m² to support greenery and water management.

Affordable Housing and SEPP Bonus Mechanism

Housing SEPP 2021 allows additional height and floor space if a project includes 15% affordable housing by GFA for 15 years. Dasco used this to expand the project by 11,216m².

The 81 affordable units will be managed by a registered provider. The Affordable Housing Covenant ensures long-term affordability. These dwellings will blend in with private units and appear indistinguishable.

Assessment and Approval Decision

The City of Parramatta Council opposed the project, citing traffic and parking concerns. Despite this, the NSW Independent Planning Commission approved the amendments in August 2025.

The Commission found the proposal consistent with local and state planning policies. It concluded the benefits—particularly the increase in affordable housing—outweighed the concerns. The approval noted the development’s excellent public transport access and proximity to services.

Council had objected to the 559 parking spaces, arguing it exceeded demand and would worsen congestion. However, the proposal complied with non-discretionary parking standards in the Housing SEPP. This meant Council could not enforce stricter limits. The Commission also found the traffic increase negligible—less than 1% across the local road network.

Precinct-wide transport upgrades are planned. Council’s draft master plan for Epping, exhibited until August 2025, also proposes future road improvements.

The Commission highlighted that the project retained its original structure. It still includes the through-site pedestrian link and active street edges. It considered the height and scale appropriate to context. The development’s design quality and social contribution justified approval.