Planning Proposal, draft site specific Development Control Plan and draft voluntary planning agreement at 641-653 and 655A Pacific Highway Chatswood

FINALISATION - 27 MARCH 2026

Following the Council Meeting of 4 March 2026, the Planning Proposal was subsequently referred to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure in order to formally amend Willoughby Local Environmental Plan 2012 (WLEP 2012), consistent with the Council resolution.

The Planning Proposal became Mapping Amendment No. 7 to WLEP 2012 and was notified on 27 March 2026.

Update - March 2026

Following the Planning Proposal, site specific Draft Development Control Plan (DCP) and draft planning agreement exhibition period, all submissions were considered as part of the assessment. An update on the Planning Proposal, site specific draft Development Control Plan (DCP) and draft planning agreement was provided to the Council Meeting of 15 September 2025.

A further report with attachments was prepared for the Council Meeting of 23 February 2026.Attachment 5 identified the total number of submissions, provided an overview of the main issues raised by community and agencies ,and provided a summary of Council officer responses. Attachment 6 listed all community submissions received and provided detailed Council officer responses.

Following the Public and Open Forum Agenda and Council Meeting Agenda being made public, all who made a submission and provided an email contact, were informed that the Planning Proposal, draft DCP and draft planning agreement, were to be considered.

The matter was considered at the Public and Open Forum held on the 16 February 2026, held on week before the Council Meeting. Due to a full Agenda, a numbers of matters were deferred at the Council Meeting of 23 February 2026, including the subject matter.
An Extraordinary Council Meeting was called for the 4 March 2026 to consider all deferred matters from the Council Meeting of 23 February 2026. 

Council decision

At the Council Meeting of 4 March 2026, it was resolved to make the Planning Proposal and the site specific Development Control Plan, and to execute the planning agreement. Council resolved that

1. Note the submissions and responses prepared by Council staff on the Planning Proposal, draft development control plan and planning agreement related to 641-653 and 655A Pacific Highway, Chatswood. 

2. Support the Planning Proposal 641-653 and 655A Pacific Highway, Chatswood, on the basis of: 

a. Consistency with the Chatswood CBD Planning and Urban Design Strategy 2036 and the site specific development control plan. 

b. A minimum lot size of 5,500m2. 

c. Provision of required and additional setbacks. 

d. Provision of public realm embellishment in the form of ground level setbacks to Pacific Highway, Gordon Avenue and Hammond Lane. 

e. Provision of through site links. 

f. Public rights of way over the public realm embellishment areas, being ground level setbacks and through site links. 

g. A two storey podium presentation to Pacific Highway, Gordon Avenue, Hammond Lane and all setbacks. 

h. Reduced car parking rates aligned with Council's Development Control Plan.

 i. All vehicle access and egress to be via Hammond Lane. 

 j. The existing vehicle egress to the Pacific Highway is to act solely as a pedestrian and cycle access, together with soft landscaping, and is subject to potential future use to facilitate vehicle egress solely from the neighbouring properties to the north. To this end a right of way is to be created, with a plan to this effect submitted with any future development application for the 641-653 and 655A Pacific Highway site.

k. All loading and unloading including waste vehicles to occur on-site, within a basement, with vehicles being able to enter and leave the basement and site in a forward direction. Design is to be based on loading involving heavy rigid vehicles.

l. The existing front wall (fence) and gate pier around the boundary of 655A Pacific Highway is to be retained in recognition of its identification as a draft individual heritage item.

m. Appropriate infrastructure provision to accommodate the density proposed. 

3. Endorse the Planning Agreement as exhibited in accordance with Department of Planning and Environment’s Planning Agreements Practice Note – February 2021, Section 7.5 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and Clause 204 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021. 

4. Approve the site specific Development Control Plan. 

5. Delegate authority to the General Manager to make any minor amendments to the final planning proposal and Development Control Plan which do not alter the intent. 

6. Authorise the General Manager to execute the Planning Agreement as exhibited and to make minor changes where appropriate which do not alter its intent or result in material changes. 

7. Authorise the Planning Proposal to be forwarded to DPHI to be made after the Planning Agreement is executed and the security is paid. 

8. Request a further Gateway Alteration from DPHI (involving a completion extension of a minimum of six weeks), to provide sufficient time for the Planning Agreement to be made, noting the existing Gateway Alteration completion date is 27 February 2026.  

The Council Agenda and Minutes with the full Council resolution are available to view using this link:

Next steps

Consistent with the Council resolution, the next steps will be to:

• Forward the Planning Proposal to the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure to formally amend Willoughby Local Environmental Plan 2012 
• Incorporate the site specific DCP into Willoughby DCP
• Execute the planning agreement.

Background 

Feedback was sought on a planning proposal seeking to amend zoning, height and floor space controls on the following land in the suburb of Chatswood:

• 641-653 Pacific Highway
• 655A Pacific Highway

The planning proposal is also accompanied by:

• A draft site specific Development Control Plan.
• A draft voluntary planning agreement

The closing time and date for submissions is 5pm Friday, 9 August 2024. 

Proposed amendments to Willoughby Local Environmental Plan (LEP) 2012

The following amendments are proposed to the Willoughby LEP:

• Change the land use zone from R3 Medium Density Residential to MU1 Mixed Use.
• Increase the height on the site from 12m to 90m.
• Increase the Floor Space Ratio on the site from 0.9:1 to 6:1.
• Apply a minimum non-residential floor space requirement equating to 17% of total assessable GFA on the site.

The above changes:

• Respond to the Council’s Chatswood CBD Planning and Urban Design Strategy, which seeks to guide all future development in the Chatswood CBD to 2036 and beyond (including providing growth for employment and housing, achieving exceptional design and supporting a distinctive, resilient and vibrant centre); and
• Will facilitate the construction of a 27-storey mixed use development

Proposed amendments to Willoughby Development Control Plan:

The proposed LEP amendments are accompanied by proposed changes to the Willoughby Development Control Plan (DCP).

These changes include objectives, performance criteria and controls to guide future development at the site, covering matters such as built form, setbacks, street wall heights, amenity, open space and landscaping.

Draft Voluntary Planning Agreement

The proposed voluntary planning agreement (VPA) provides for infrastructure embellishment in the Chatswood CBD.

Information available

In the Supporting Documents section at the right hand side of this page, you can find the following documents.

These documents are broadly listed in chronological order, with the most recent documents at the top:

• Information from proponent to address the Gateway Determination.
• Department of Planning Housing and Infrastructure Gateway Determination.
• Information from the proponent to address the 11 December 2023 Council Meeting Resolution.
• Council report and attachments prepared for the 11 December 2023 Council meeting, and meeting resolution, including proposed changes to the Willoughby LEP in the form of maps and written changes, the proposed site specific draft Development Control Plan, and the draft voluntary planning agreement.
• Proponent Planning Proposal information submitted to Council including an amended planning proposal report and urban design report.

Other details

In accordance with the process for planning proposals, the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces has issued a Gateway Determination which requires that the proposal be placed on exhibition for a minimum of 20 days. The Planning Proposal has been placed on exhibition for 28 days.

The Gateway Determination includes authorisation for Willoughby City Council to exercise the functions of the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces under section 3.36(2) of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979.

The proposed rezoning and planning control changes currently on exhibition will be used to assess any future development applications for the site.

A concept plan and supporting documentation has been submitted indicating a possible redevelopment of the site based on the proposed planning controls and the Chatswood CBD Planning and Urban Design Strategy.

The exhibition of the draft voluntary planning agreement is consistent with Clause 204 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021.

The planning proposal, draft WDCP amendments and draft VPA were on exhibition from Friday, 12 July to Friday, 9 August 2024. 

For enquiries contact Strategic Planner Craig O'Brien on (02) 9777 1000

Please Note

• Comments should be restricted to the planning proposal, draft site specific WDCP changes and draft voluntary planning agreement.
• To help us to better understand your feedback, it would be helpful if you provide sub-headings on key themes within your comments or submissions
• Council takes no responsibility for comments of a personal or defamatory nature contained in submissions.
• You should also be aware submissions are not individually acknowledged and concerns raised in your submission will not be responded to individually but will be considered as part of the assessment.
• Submissions will be publicly available, and in relation to that, the Willoughby Council Privacy Statement is available below, and should be noted prior to making a submission:

Council's Privacy Statement

In making your submission, you may choose to remain anonymous, however this needs to be clearly stated on the submission (at the top of the front page in bold) that it is not to be treated as a public document. Please note should there be a need to substantiate matters contained in a submission made by you, anonymous submissions may be given less weight (or no weight) in the consideration of the matter.

Persons lodging submissions must declare political donations (including donations of $1000 or more) made in the previous 2 years. Further details on Disclosure of Political Donations and Expenditures is available below:

Disclosure of Political Donations and Expenditures