4.2 Structure Plan

Connectivity

• Regional Connections: Council will continue to lobby the NSW Government for the funding, early planning and delivery of regional transport connections, as they are critical to the success of the Rouse Hill Strategic Centre moving forward. Primarily, this will include the planned connection from Tallawong Station to St Marys Station, along with the public transport corridor from Rouse Hill through to Box Hill.

• Enhanced Connectivity: New local roads, along with various other traffic related works, are identified to improve the flow of traffic within the Rouse Hill Strategic Centre. This will assist in breaking up large sites and improve pedestrian permeability. Enhanced pedestrian and cycle paths are identified to encourage alternative modes of transport and reduce reliance on private vehicles as the main mode of transportation. Pedestrian bridges across major roads, such as Windsor Road, Commercial Road and Rouse Hill Drive will also be critical in improving pedestrian permeability.

• The design principles for redevelopment of sites in Rouse Hill will encourage an urban structure where pedestrian movements are dominant over vehicles.

Metro Station

Metro Line (Above Ground)

Rouse Hill Strategic Centre

Signalised Intersection

Pedestrian Bridge

Left-in-left-out Intersection

Roundabout

New Road

Pedestrian Link

Existing Cycleway

Proposed Cycleway

Public Transport Corridor

Land Use

• Mixed Use Area: Rouse Hill Town Centre will be the heart of the Precinct, offering a mix of retail, business, office, leisure, entertainment, community uses and some higher density housing.

• Designated Commercial Area (surrounding the hospital): A designated commercial area (north of the existing Rouse Hill Town Centre) is identified to safeguard key employment land for commercial offices, enabling Rouse Hill to transform into a highly competitive employment destination. The establishment of a designated commercial area will be pivotal in enabling job targets to be met and in attracting a variety of knowledge intensive jobs that meet the needs of the highly skilled population. This is important for both the short and medium term, as well as the longer term planning horizon beyond 2036 and 2041.

• Retail: A new entertainment and restaurant Precinct is envisaged as an extension to the north of the Rouse Hill Town Centre and Rouse Hill Drive, to meet the needs of the rapidly growing residential catchment and workers.

• Hospital: A new hospital is earmarked on prime undeveloped land in the heart of the Strategic Centre. It will be a key catalyst for employment growth, particularly in establishing a health and innovation hub.

• New Open Space Areas: A new open space area is earmarked through the central part of the Northern Frame, which will also serve a dual drainage function. A number of new urban plazas will be incorporated within future developments.

• Village Centre: The existing Village Centre will be retained to meet the day-to-day needs of residents and workers.

• Diverse Housing: The Rouse Hill Strategic Centre will contain a diverse range of housing opportunities, spanning from well-established low to medium residential areas through to emerging high density apartment buildings towards the central parts of the Precinct.

• Urban Services: The urban services area on Resolution Place will be retained (excluding land identified to transition to higher-order high density commercial office development along Commercial Road). This will provide continued urban support services for the incoming population.

Metro Station

Metro Line (Above Ground)

Rouse Hill Strategic Centre

Proposed Road

Low Density Residential

Medium Density Residential

High Density Residential

Local Centre

High Density Commercial Offices

Urban Support Services

Open Space

Drainage Land

Mixed Use

Special Use

Potential School

Urban Plaza

Density

• Floor space ratio controls will control density in key redevelopment areas.

• Future density will have regard for transit oriented development, with higher density developments strategically located near transport hubs. These areas near the stations are also areas that have the greatest potential for change, in easy walking distance to retail centres and stations. These developments will transition to lower densities on the edge of an 800m radius.

• Highest densities (up to 5:1) will be located near the Rouse Hill Town Centre and Metro Station, as well as the planned Rouse Hill Hospital. Densities are expected to decrease down to 2:1, depending on proximity from the Metro Station and having regard to sensitive interfaces (such as well-established residential areas, creek corridors, public domain and open space areas).

• Indicative floor space ratio outcomes should not be viewed as an entitlement. Floor space ratio controls will be subject to detailed built form modelling and urban design analysis throughout the subsequent planning processes to ensure they are appropriate, functional and viable.

• Areas on the periphery of the Rouse Hill Strategic Centre will remain unchanged. These are well-established low and medium density areas that greatly contribute to the diversity of development outcomes within the Rouse Hill Strategic Centre. These are generally areas where strategic planning work has already been completed.

• Some areas are not earmarked for any change to the existing controls, being areas where the existing character and outcomes are to remain, or areas where appropriate redevelopment potential already exists under the current planning controls.

Metro Station

Metro Line (Above Ground)

Rouse Hill Strategic Centre

Proposed Road

Area Flagged for Potential Change

Future Detailed Design Testing

Built Form

• There will need to be a transition of building heights to facilitate a varied and interesting skyline, which also has regard to key view corridors through the Precinct. Development surrounding the Rouse Hill Metro Station and planned hospital will have opportunities for tall and varied buildings heights that are the key landmarks for the Strategic Centre.

• Building heights will also be sympathetic to the surrounding established low density residential areas. There will be opportunity for taller buildings of varying heights (up to 14-20 storeys in Gateway locations in the Northern Frame and up to 10 storeys for employment areas north of Commercial Road), with setbacks that incorporate quality landscaping and public domain improvements.

• Higher built form controls beyond that required to achieve indicative floor space ratio outcomes are proposed to encourage higher quality and elegant development (rather than short and box-like developments), with improved ground plane outcomes through generous landscaping, setbacks, plazas and building separation. Building height controls will be subject to detailed built form modelling and urban design analysis throughout the subsequent planning processes to ensure they are appropriate, functional and viable.

• Longer-term Focus Areas, including the Northern Frame and underdeveloped land north of Commercial Road, may be suitable for taller built form outcomes. However, the planning controls will be subject to future investigations and a separate landowner-initiated planning proposal process.

• No changes are proposed to low-medium density areas (2-3 storeys in height) around the periphery of the Rouse Hill Strategic Centre, where the existing character and outcomes are to remain. No changes are proposed to areas where separate planning work has already been complete (e.g. site-specific planning proposals, development applications have been recently approved or well-established residential areas).

Metro Station

Metro Line (Above ground)

Rouse Hill Strategic Centre

Proposed Road

Area Flagged for Potential Change

2-3 Storeys

2-4 Storeys

4-6 Storeys

7 Storeys

8 Storeys

8-10 Storeys

11 Storeys

12 Storeys

14 Storeys

15 Storeys

16 Storeys

18 Storeys

20 Storeys

Future Detailed Design Testing