The Central Coast Joint Regional Planning Panel has approved a Section 96 modification to provide an additional medical floor above a previously-approved 20-bed orthopaedic ward at the North Gosford Private Hospital.
The approved consent modification also allowed for a minor expansion of the Central Sterile Services Department located at the rear of the existing hospital. The consent was given for 9 Burrabil Ave, North Gosford, and the modification has a capital investment value of $7.9 million. According to JRPP documents, the additional floor level will add 900 square metres to the development. The proposal is an integrated development, as the subject site is identified as bushfire prone land and a hospital is classified as a special fi re protection purpose under the Rural Fires Act of 1997, so a separate approval is required from the NSW Rural Fire Service.
JRPP documents indicate the RFS has provided general terms of approval for the granting of a Bush Fire Safety Authority for the original development. The original development consent was granted on August 6, 2015, for alterations and additions to the North Gosford Private Hospital. The approved development was for construction of a new three level building addition to the north eastern corner of the existing North Gosford Private Hospital. Proposed works comprised the construction of basement car parking for 21 vehicles, expansion of day surgery reception and theatre on level 1, and an empty shell for a future cancer care unit on level 2. The approval also covered revised driveway entries and exists in Burrabil Ave, providing vehicular access to the hospital, and minor internal alterations and refurbishment of the existing hospital levels one (day surgery), two (maternity) and three (medical ward). Details of the future Cancer Care Unit (CCU) on level two were not provided in the original application, only the building shell was indicated.
The gross floor area of this level was, however, included in the overall floor area calculations. The fi tout of the future CCU on Level 2 will therefore be subject to a separate development application to ensure compliance with Building Code Australia requirements, determine whether any additional staff will be employed in connection with use and whether any additional car parking or section 94 contributions are generated by the proposed future addition. North Gosford Private Hospital has an area of 2.39ha. The hospital site is bound by Henry Parry Dve to the west, Burrabil Ave to the north, Jarrett St to the east and Etna St to the south, and multi dwelling housing and residential development to the south and east. A school is located directly opposite the development site in Burrabil Ave. The principal vehicular/ pedestrian access to the hospital is via Burrabil Ave, with a secondary access from Jarrett St. The JRPP approved an amendment to consent conditions to reflect the revised plan, and set section 94 contributions to reflect additional floor area.
While the additional height represents an increase which is signifi cant in quantitative terms, the qualitative impacts of the additional storey support the conclusion that the modification is substantially the same, the JRPP concluded. “The additional height does not result or give rise to unacceptable impact on adjoining development or existing streetscape. “Accordingly, the proposal as amended, is considered to be substantially the same development as previously approved, and does not warrant a new development application. The land is zoned SP2 Infrastructure (Health Services Facility) under Gosford Local Environmental Plan 2014. The proposal was defined as a “health services facility” and is permissible within the zone. The proposal was considered to have minimal environmental impact, being located within existing hospital grounds, and the subject land is considered to be suitable for the proposed development. One public submission was received in relation to the application during the notification period relating to insufficient car parking provision. Such issue was considered in the assessment of the application to be satisfactory. “The proposed development will contribute to improving the city’s health care infrastructure and the local community’s health care requirements and no objection is raised to the proposal, subject to compliance with the conditions contained within the recommendation,” a report recommending JRPP approval concluded.
Website, Sep 6, 2016 Joint Regional Planning Panel matter 2016HCC015