Road. The remaining boundary is 30.135 metres giving a total area of 422 square metres.
5 The site is occupied by a three-storey building with a flat roof and basement level. It is currently used as a hotel.
6 The locality consists of a mix of two and three-storey retail, commercial and residential flat buildings. The property to the south is developed with a part 3 and part 4-storey building containing retail and ground level and backpacker accommodation on the remaining upper levels. The property on the opposite side of Sydney Road is developed with a part 2 and part 3-storey building containing retail and ground level with restaurant and office space above. Also opposite the site in Sydney Road is a three-storey hotel. Development along the opposite side of The Corso is generally two-storey with retail at ground level.
The proposal
7 The proposal provides for extensive alterations and additions to the existing three-storey building.
8 The existing basement storage level containing is to provide toilet facilities, storage space, office space, staffroom and toilets, garbage room, new stair and new lift.
9 The existing ground level bar, bottle shop, toilets and gaming room is to altered to provide for a new gaming room, new bar area, new lift and new stairs. The proposal also includes the demolition of the existing walls and windows to The Corso and Sydney Road and the provision of glazed bi-fold doors between the remaining columns. An outdoor eating area under the existing awning in The Corso and Sydney Road is also proposed.
10 The existing lounge, bar, toilets, office, stairs and trafficable awning on the first level are to be altered to provide for a new bar, new kitchen, new lift, new toilets and new stairs. The proposal also provides for glazed doors to a portion of the existing The Corso and Sydney Road facades and an extension of the trafficable portion of the Sydney Road balcony.
11 The seven bedrooms, lounge room, staffroom, managers office, reception office, common area, staff room, toilets, lightwell and stairs on the second level are to be altered to provide for a new cocktail bar, new lounge, new lift, new toilets, new stairs and the reinstatement of the original lightwell. A new glass awning over the first floor of balcony to The Corso and Sydney Road is also proposed.
12 A roof terrace and decking is to be constructed on the existing roof area. The area is to be serviced by the new lift and new stairs. A largely glass structure provides separation between the outdoor open deck and the bar, internal restaurant and dining areas. New plant for the hotel is provided on this level.
13 The proposal also provides for a change in the trading hours. The existing trading hours on Monday to Saturday are 5.00 a.m. to 3.00 a.m. and the proposal seeks to trade from 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 a.m. On Sundays, the existing trading hours are 12.00 midday to 12.00 midnight and the proposal seeks to trade from 9.00 a.m. to 12.00 midnight.
14 The proposal also provides for the general operation of the hotel through an Operations Plan of Management.
Relevant planning controls
15 The site is within Zone No. 3 - Business under Manly Local Environmental Plan 1988 (the LEP). The proposed use is permissible with consent within this zone. Clause 3 provides aims and objectives, cl 4 provides policies
and strategies for specific matters, Clause 17 provides requirements for the protection of particular land and specifically whether a development will have a detrimental effect on the amenity of the Foreshore Protection Area.
16 The existing building is identified as an item of the environmental heritage, is located in the vicinity of other items of environmental heritage and is also located within the Town Centre Conservation Area in Schedule 4 of the LEP. For this reason, cl 18 provides requirements for items of environmental heritage, c19 provides requirements for development in the vicinity of an item of environmental heritage and cl 21 provides requirements for conservation areas.
17 Manly Development Control Plan for the Business Zone 1989 (Amendment 4) (DCP 1989) applies to the application. Part 1 provides the general provisions for the Manly Town Centre, specifically in relation to floor space ratio (FSR) (cl 1.1), building heights (cl 1.2), setbacks (cl 1.3), townscape (cl 1.4) and parking and access (cl 1.5).
18 Manly Town Centre Urban Design Guidelines 2002 (the Guidelines) also apply to the proposed development.
The issues
19 The council filed a Statement of Issues containing 11 individual issues and addressing 9 specific areas. The loss of residential hotel accommodation (Issue 7) and noise (Issue 8) were not pressed by the council although noise was still seen as an issue by local residents. The lack of owners consent from the council for that part of the application that proposes use of The Corso and Sydney Road was also not pressed by the council as the Court has all the functions and discretions of the council through s 39(2) of the Land and Environment Court Act 1979.
20 The remaining issues can be conveniently grouped into the following main areas:
1) whether the proposed development will create unacceptable social impacts through the proposed hours operation and the use of public space in The Corso and Sydney Road (Issues 1,2 and 6)
2) whether the proposed FSR is acceptable (Issue 3),
3) whether the proposed height is acceptable (Issue 4),
4) whether the proposed development would detract from the townscape qualities of the Manly Town Centre (Issue 5),
5) whether the proposed development adversely impacts on the heritage qualities of the building, buildings in the vicinity and the Town Centre Conservation Area (Issue 10) and,
6) whether the satisfactory arrangements have been made for car parking (Issue 9).
21 While not raised as a separate issue, the local residents and nearby business operators raised further issues beyond those identified by the council.