A plan to build a 48-metre high residential tower in Frenchs Forest has hit a significant planning hurdle after the Housing Delivery Authority (HDA) recommended the project not be granted a fast-tracked approval pathway.
Read: Local Residents Invited to View Plans for Major Frenchs Forest Development
The proposal, for 12-14 Gladys Avenue, Frenchs Forest, sought to have the development declared State Significant Development (SSD). Under NSW planning law, SSD is a classification reserved for projects deemed to have significant economic, social, or environmental impacts.
All development applications for state significant development go through a comprehensive assessment process with extensive community participation. Being declared SSD unlocks a streamlined, state-level assessment process rather than requiring the applicant to go through the local council route.
The Gladys Avenue project proposed a residential flat building delivering 113 units, with 15 per cent allocated as affordable housing for a period of 15 years. The HDA did not recommend the project be declared SSD under the HDA pathway.
Why the proposal fell short
The HDA determined the proposal would require significant departures from existing planning rules, could not be assessed within the authority’s required timeframes, and did not align with the strategic direction for the area in terms of zoning and land use.
At the HDA briefing held in April, Deputy Secretary Kiersten Fishburn noted that the yield may not be achievable, pointing to previous Land and Environment Court decisions about yield. She also cited significant access issues and noted the site falls outside the land identified for strategic uplift in the area.
The HDA advised that alternative approval pathways remain available for the site, including a development application following a planning proposal.
The site already carries some development history. The Land and Environment Court has previously approved a development on the same site for 32 apartments under DA2025/1263 via Northern Beaches Council. Two other proposals on Gladys Avenue were recommended for SSD declaration at the same briefing.
Read: Frenchs Forest Included In Wider Public Land Sale Review
A separate proposal for 1, 3, 5, 5a, 7, 9, 9a and 9b Gladys Avenue was recommended by the HDA to be declared SSD. That proposal involves a 10-storey residential flat building for 290 dwellings with 10 per cent affordable housing for 15 years. A third proposal, for 116, 118 and 120 Frenchs Forest Road West and 11 Gladys Avenue, was also recommended for declaration.
The HDA’s April 2026 briefing considered 34 EOI applications from across NSW. Of those, 10 were recommended for SSD declaration, 23 were not recommended, and one was deferred.
Published 30-May-2026
