Lane Cove High-Rise Plan Seeks Major Rezoning

April 9, 2026

An architectural plan sheet for the 300 Burns Bay Road development.

A 225-apartment development at 300 Burns Bay Road in Lane Cove has entered public exhibition, with the proposal lodged as a State Significant Development alongside a concurrent rezoning request.

The scheme seeks approval for a residential development ranging from seven to 15 storeys on a 7,595-square-metre site. It would replace an existing four-storey office and warehouse with three residential buildings, delivering a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments. The proposal also includes basement parking, communal open space and landscaped areas across the site.

With an estimated development cost of $85.8 million excluding GST, the application is being assessed by the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure under the State Significant Development pathway.

Rezoning to enable height and density increase

The proposal seeks to amend the Lane Cove Local Environmental Plan to enable a substantial increase in both building height and floor space ratio. Specifically, the maximum height would increase from 21 metres to a stepped profile reaching 54.5 metres, while the floor space ratio would rise from 2:1 to 3.22:1.

The applicant positions the uplift as consistent with broader housing delivery objectives, noting the site’s location within an R4 High Density Residential zone and its proximity to public transport and local services. The scale of the proposed controls reflects a shift towards higher density outcomes in well-located areas.

Council feedback, however, has raised concerns regarding bulk, scale and alignment with the desired future character of the precinct. These issues are likely to remain central to the assessment as the proposal progresses.

An architectural plan sheet for the proposed development. — A detailed architectural plan illustrates the internal layout of one section of the proposed Lane Cove apartment towers.

Design evolution shaped by agency feedback

The current scheme reflects a series of design changes informed by feedback from the State Design Review Panel and Lane Cove Council. Earlier iterations retained the existing commercial building on the site, however this approach was reconsidered following design review input.

Subsequent revisions removed the commercial component and redistributed residential floor space across the site. This resulted in a three-building configuration with varying heights, allowing for a more distributed built form while maintaining the overall yield.

Council’s pre-DA advice in 2025 identified concerns relating to amenity, including solar access and overshadowing. The applicant states that these issues have been addressed through adjustments to building massing, setbacks and layout, supported by detailed technical assessments.

Overshadowing and solar access in focus

Potential impacts on neighbouring properties form a key part of the assessment. The site adjoins several existing residential buildings, including an eight-storey development immediately to the south, where solar access has been identified as a concern.

The proposal incorporates setbacks along the southern boundary ranging from 6.44 metres to 11.25 metres. The applicant states that building placement and height transitions have been designed to reduce shadow impacts on surrounding properties and improve internal amenity.

Detailed shadow diagrams and solar access studies have been prepared to support the application. These materials will be examined to determine whether the proposal achieves an acceptable balance between increased density and residential amenity.