Court Allows Controversial 3-Storey Catholic Church Development Beside St. Mary’s Cathedral
Image: Wikimedia Commons
The City of Sydney and the Heritage Council of New South Wales appear powerless to stop a contentious development by the Catholic Church, to be situated next to the historic Saint Mary’s Cathedral.
In a ruling at the start of August, the Land and Environment Court permitted the Archdiocese of Sydney to proceed with the erection of a three-storey building between the cathedral and Chapter House, the oldest building on the grounds. The new building, on the site of a present-day car park, is to house a café, bookshop, offices and meeting rooms.
Advocating for the archdiocese, consultancy Urbis said that the proposal had “evolved in response to the comments from the City of Sydney” and that it respected the Gothic Revival style of the cathedral.
That is despite the Heritage Council arguing that the design “dominates and competes architecturally” with the surrounding historic structures.
City “really tried to work” with archdiocese
Councillor Jess Miller, the deputy chair of the Transport, Heritage and Planning Committee, told City Hub that changes to the proposal over the course of the proceedings were not considered satisfactory by the City.
Miller said the proposal “was reduced in height, but the design actually got fatter and closer to the heritage items.”
“We do everything within our power to get a really good outcome based on a range of specific principles and ideas around what constitutes good design, what identifies the value of heritage, but ultimately the applicant can appeal the decision to the Land and Environment Court.”
“I think the City staff really tried to work with the applicant and the Heritage Council to make it a better scheme.” However, Miller said, the archdiocese “just wanted a lot of floor space.”
Councillor Yvonne Weldon, another member of the committee, does not have a firm view on the matter. “Planning decisions are often contentious, and that’s without involving the man upstairs,” she said.
“Our planners take great consideration to preserve sightlines and heritage when approving development. Ultimately, this matter has been taken out of the hands of the City of Sydney and determined by the court.”
Design for church development is “visually submissive” to heritage buildings
A report prepared by Urbis states that “while the Chancery will address the street and will be appropriately read as a contemporary layer of development supporting the historic purpose of the precinct, it will be visually submissive to the earliest buildings” and responds appropriately to the setting.
The report says that the design references and responds to features of the surrounding structures, such as a stained-glass window on the north façade of Chapter House. It also says that the planned height of the building is “notably less” than that of an archiepiscopal residence intended for the site by Victorian era architect William Wardell.
“The Chancery would therefore reflect the early vision for the scale of development on this part of the site.”
One concerned parishioner of the Sydney archdiocese and employed heritage assistant agreed with this assessment, telling City Hub that the amendments show “the receptivity of the architects” to community concerns.
“The Chancery Building proposed in 2023 appeared as a very insincere attempt at forcing an ambitious monumental form within two one-of-a-kind Gothic Revival landmarks, that ignored the established architectural language of its setting, and furthermore dared to dominate and obscure these Pugin, Wardell and Hennessy designed buildings.”
“As someone who was staunchly against this design previously, feeling that such architectural language and prominence did not suit the historic spatial complexity for which the architecture of the Catholic Church is known, I now feel positive and hopeful as to what the outcome of this building will bring.”
