Plans to redevelop Rose Bay Uniting Church and Wesley Hall into a mixed residential and commercial site have been sustained by the Woollahra Council.
As of Friday, the 31st of May 2019, the status of the development application, which was filed more than a year ago, has been changed to “Upheld” after the Council’s initial rejection last July 2018.
Uniting Church In Australia Property through its developer Endeavour Property Advisory submitted an amended development proposal in January 2019 following protests from Rose Bay locals last year.
Residents were opposed to the redevelopment as the said buildings have become an integral part of Rose Bay and Sydney’s history and progress.
Rose Bay Uniting Church stood on 518A Old South Head Road corner Dover Road since 1904. Twenty years later, the property was expanded with the construction of Wesley Hall.
Both sites reflected the earliest communities that existed in Rose Bay. Wesley Hall, in particular, was a popular venue for school activities, ballet classes, and other family and community events over the decades.
A few years ago, however, Uniting Church of Australia Property approached developers for help in repurposing the buildings, especially Wesley Hall. The original plan entailed a drastic change that would only retain 10 per cent of the buildings’ original structure.
Some residents came together to push for the preservation of Rose Bay Uniting Church and Wesley Hall. Thus, Woollahra Council also exhibited a proposal to add these buildings in the Heritage Listing, which would prevent and protect its demolition or major changes.
The public exhibition on its heritage listing application took place from Wednesday, the 10th of April to Friday, the 10th of May 2019. A decision from the Land and Environment Court, however, has not yet been made.