The proposed redevelopment of the St. Andrew’s Anglican Parish Church (also known as LCM Churches) in Lane Cove by Traders In Purple and the Anglican Church has ignited a passionate debate within the local community. The project highlights the complexities of balancing development with community concerns and needs.
The Church is located on the corner of Rosenthal Avenue and Finlayson Street Lane Cove (on the same side of the street as the Post Office).
Eight Storey Mixed Use Building
The project, which seeks to create an eight-storey mixed-use building featuring a new church, a 418-seat auditorium, residential apartments, and retail space, has resulted in over 80 submissions to the Lane Cove Council (submissions are still being accepted).
The building will have eight levels. Forty-Seven residential apartments will be accessed from Finlayson Street, and two levels of basement parking and servicing areas will also be accessible from Finlayson Street. The Auditorium will have a ground floor (274 seats) and a Mezzanine (144 seats).
Traders In Purple Director George Geagea has highlighted the site’s strategic location and its potential to meet the community’s needs. He has emphasized the company’s commitment to delivering high-quality development that balances community needs with modern living. He said the partnership with Sydney Anglican Property reflects a shared vision for the site’s future.
Sydney Anglican Property (SAP) CEO Ross Jones said the St Andrews Church site renewal at Lane Cove was an excellent example of SAP’s Urban Renewal Program in practice.
“We are looking to use our existing property resources to serve the communities we are a part of, while also ensuring our local churches have the facilities they need for future generations,” said Mr Jones.
“If approved, the plans for this site mean Lane Cove will not only have access to increased housing supply, but also a publicly available, state-of-the-art auditorium right in the centre of town.
“We have already received calls from local organisations in the performing arts, music, theatre and dance, who are desperately in need of a high quality auditorium to perform their work.
“St Andrew’s has been an integral part of Lane Cove for many years, serving and ministering to the needs of the local community for generations. This project will allow the church to continue to do so for years to come.
“Together with Traders In Purple we have worked closely with council, parishioners and community groups to ensure the project delivers the best possible outcome for Lane Cove.”
A Community Divided
When ITC reviewed the Lane Cove Council Development Application Portal, 49% of the submissions were against the development, while 47% were in favor, with the latter primarily consisting of parishioners. A few submissions favoured the Development, but they noted concerns about the traffic impact (so not counted in the for or against).
This close division underscores the project’s significant impact on the community and the varying perspectives on its merits, including providing more housing in the Lane Cove Local Government area.
Timeline of the Project
October 2021: An initial meeting with the council to discuss the redevelopment and the inclusion of a community space, receiving general support for the concept.
February 2024: A meeting with council staff, including the General Manager, to discuss the community auditorium and a potential Voluntary Planning Agreement (VPA).
June 2024: A formal Pre-DA Lodgement meeting, where a preliminary scheme was presented to the council.
August 2024: Lane Cove Council prepares a briefing paper for their August 2024 meeting recommending that a Voluntary Planning Agreement be put on public display. The Voluntary Planning agreement allows the developer to exceed the current building height restrictions in exchange for a 418-seat auditorium available to the community.
February 2025: The Development Application is notified to neighbours. The neighbour notification letter was dated 12 February 2025; however, some neighbours received the letter on 19 February 2025. The Voluntary Planning Agreement is publicly advertised in February 2025 on the Lane Cove Council’s Have Your Say Website.
Voluntary Planning Agreement
The Lane Cove Council Voluntary Planning Agreemen (VPA) centers on the provision of a performance space (the 418-seat auditorium) for community use. The council’s decision to enter into a VPA stems from its desire to enhance community infrastructure and fulfill objectives outlined in its Cultural Plan.
Specifically, the VPA will:
Secure a Community Performance Space: The council’s Cultural Plan includes provisions for the development of performance spaces. The proposed auditorium aligns with this goal.
Offset Section 7.11 Contributions: In return for the developer providing the auditorium, the council will offset 7.11 contributions payable for the development, estimated at $1.144 million.
Allow Additional Floor Space: The council will also offset the 599 square meters of the auditorium space with an equivalent amount of additional residential floor space, which will necessitate a breach of the building height limits (information obtained from the Lane Cove Council August 2024 Agenda Papers).
Ensure Public Access: The VPA will be registered on the property title and will include provisions to guarantee the auditorium’s ongoing community availability in perpetuity through a license/management agreement between the property owner and the council.
Financial Details of the VPA: The delivery of the performance space is valued at $11.356 million. The council has committed $1 million of its $4 million budget for performance spaces to the Theatre in the Terrace Room at the Lane Cove Community Hub, leaving $3 million in the works schedule. The $1.144 million offset is a waiver of funds that would otherwise be payable by the development.
LCM Church Use of the Auditorium
Operationally, the auditorium will be managed by the LCM Parish with community use fee(s) in line with Council’s community use fees and agreed upon by Council. The Parish will administer the bookings utilising an online platform (auditable by the Council). The Parish will receive all revenue from third-party bookings and pay for all operational and maintenance costs associated with the auditorium. The auditorium/hall will be available for public bookings for approximately 70% of the total time (50% of peak times Friday and Saturdays), excluding:
- Sundays and Christian holidays (55 days per year);
- Friday nights during term (3:00pm – 12:00am, 40 days per year) noting Youth Group during school term is open to all the community;
- Saturdays (11 per year);
- Church Camp (3 days per year);
- Monday Pupil-Free days (4 days per year);
- Prayer and Praise (7:30pm – 9:00pm, 4 nights per year);
- Thursday Night Church Band Practice (52 days per year).
The times above will be regularly reviewed by council.
Submissions Made on Development Application
The residents who have submitted an objection are concerned about the project’s impact on traffic, parking, heritage preservation, and overall density. Most buildings in the area are at a 5-story height level (The Botanic is 6 levels), and this building will exceed that height. There is also concern about limited parking on the site, with The Canopy car park to be used for overflow. Residents have queried if The Canopy will have the necessary parking spaces for the overflow.
Below are some extracts from submissions made on the Development Application:
Against
“The proposal does not provide sufficient parking for residents, visitors, and users of the church and auditorium. Lane Cove is already struggling with parking congestion due to recent developments, and surrounding streets are frequently at capacity. The Canopy car park, which is intended for general public use, often has queues forming outside, indicating that existing infrastructure is already under strain. Adding a high-density development without adequate parking provisions will only exacerbate traffic and parking issues, making the area less accessible for residents and visitors.”
In Support
“The re-development project looks to the future. The new Church will seat over 400 people. The new complex will include smaller halls and meeting spaces as well as offices for our Ministry Team. There will be a 4-bedroom apartment set aside for the Rectory family. Altogether this will increase available space in the Church precinct by two and a half times. The re-development of St Andrew’s Church will be funded by the construction of approximately 47 apartments. Careful thought has been given to design features of the re-development – the Church entrance from Rosenthal Avenue, light access to internal areas, the landscaped green space and the streetscape appearance of the new apartment building adjacent to the Church.”
Against
“To quote from the Traffic Impact Assessment Report Section 7 : Typical daily church operations are expected to be similar to existing with the number of patrons attending the weekday and weekend services and various events to remain well below capacity and generally less than 250 patrons. The increase in capacity from 250 to 420 patrons is primarily to accommodate infrequent special/ community events and seasonal celebrations. The existing facilities have access to several hundred public car spaces nearby in public car parks in the Canopy, Market Square and Little St, as well as access to nearby bus stops. An Access Control System will manage access to the residential component carpark for 47 units. Any other car park is open for use by anyone visiting Lane Cove for whatever reason, i.e. it is a public carpark. 2 The proposed car park entry and exit is via a residential zoned street. A public car park is not a permitted land use in our R4 zoning. No new carpark is necessary. The Facilities parking access requirement of 50 cars can be met via access to existing public parking.”
Traffic Concerns
“The attached photos taken on 4 March at 8.24am (not even the height of the peak hour), highlight the extent to which traffic in this area has already been severely impacted by a lack of adequate planning and foresight. The first photo shows traffic banked back down Finlayson Street trying to turn left onto Rosenthal Avenue. I now have a daily ritual of either waiting for a rare break in the flow of cars or for someone to let me in so I can turn right out of my driveway at .. Finlayson Street. The second and third photos show cars lining up on Rosenthal Avenue all the way through the roundabout back up to the corner of Burns Bay Road. The issue has worsened since the no right-hand turn from Tambourine Bay Road onto Burns Bay Road was implemented, forcing more traffic onto local streets. These roads, already under strain, cannot handle the additional vehicles this development will generate.”
In Support
“The re-development will allow the Parish to continue to develop its activities as well as providing modern meeting rooms, halls and a large auditorium. The provision of the proposed apartments will add to the local village atmosphere. I strongly support the VPA as the basis on which Lane Cove Council and St Andrew’s Lane Cove can together enhance the facilities to be available for use by our community.”
Query on Need for Residential Density
“First, I’m in favour of the upgrading of the church in size and scale. The church is a gem of this community, and I’m in support of expanding the scale of the church to welcome more people to participate in activities on site. However, by looking at the Appendix F – Architectural Plans, except for the bottom 2 floors designed to accommodate church activities, the top 6 floors are all for residential purposes, making up the main portion of the development plan. I can see how the upgrading of church benefits the community and the Parish, but can’t see any positive improvement from increasing the residential density near The Canopy, where the traffic has already been an issue.”
Support From The Performing Arts Community
Despite the overall division, members of the Lane Cove Performing Arts community have voiced their support for the development, particularly the inclusion of the 400-seat auditorium. Individuals such as a parent of a child in the Lane Cove Youth Orchestra, the Lane Cove Community Bands, and Lane Cove Music have expressed enthusiasm for the potential performance space.
Low and Mid Rise Housing
The Statement of Environmental Effects lodged by the Developer notes that the developer will seek to use the extra height requirements available due to the Low and Mid Rise Housing Reforms.
Have Your Say
There is still time for Lane Cove locals (for or against the development) to lodge a submission with the Lane Cove Council. A link to the Development Application is here. Submissions close on 23 March 2025. You can search the Lane Cove Council’s Development Portal by using the DA number 152/2024.
This article was updated at 10.00 pm on Wednesday, 19th March 2025, to include clarification on the number of storeys.
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