Keep Darlinghurst Laneways OPEN
Chris Tuckfield’s campaign to the City of Sydney Council was won (CSC meeting 14 Dec 2012) - with a redesign passing council that retained the laneway and provided new public green spaces.
- The benefits of the design include:
- Keeping Berwick Lane open and maintaining pedestrian access between Bourke Street, Palmer Lane, Berwick Lane and Palmer Street;
- Maintaining Berwick Lane as part of the Darlinghurst Laneways network and heritage conservation area;
- Relocating and redesigning the raised ramp;
- Providing childcare with outdoor play spaces that have access to the natural environment, daylight and roof gardens;
- Improving safety by activating Berwick Lane with a new community space on the lane;
- Creating a new green corridor running from Bourke Street to Palmer Street;
- Grouping facilities together in a sympathetic way to foster community-building activities and local collaboration – a childcare, community space and open space with the potential to be a community garden.
Council bought the Cancer Council building corner of Bourke St and Liverpool St. Council has a DA which will resume pretty Berwick lane and its access to the fine-grained group of workers' terraces.
Today at the Committee Meeting residents will be calling on council to do THREE things:
(1) Pass a resolution that any development at 277 Bourke Street MUST include retention of unobstructed public access to Berwick Lane with council officers to consult closely with Darlinghurst residents on the design for this access.
(2) That 222 Palmer Street (Frances Newton KU) should not be sold off AND should instead be demolished for public open space.
(3) That council closely consult and analyse with Darlinghurst residents ways to reduce the scale of proposed childcare at 277 Bourke Street to that which can be accomodated on the roof , with the intention of returning John Birt Memorial Playground to community open space
Moving the childcare to upper level(s) at 277 Bourke Street will free up the more valuable ground level and current basement for community and commercial space.
These measures taken together will dramatically improve the long term outcome of the 277 Bourke Street proposal and ameliorate the very problematic noise, parking and loss of public access issues.
And the same time they will give back something to this community – which has seen no new public space and a degradation of existing parks and gardens (Green Park by overshadowing etc).
Sign on - now up to 282 signatures and rising - http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/keep-darlo-s-laneways-openhttp://www.communityrun.org/petitions/keep-darlo-s-laneways-open
Summary courtesy Chris Tuckfield campaign convenor.