A long-unused carpark beside the Skyline shops in Frenchs Forest could be replaced by a $9.5 million medical centre, with approval recommended for a multi-level development now awaiting a planning panel decision.
Frenchs Forest Medical Centre Plan Moves Ahead
A long-unused carpark beside the Skyline shops in Frenchs Forest could be replaced by a $9.5 million medical centre, with approval recommended for a multi-level development now awaiting a planning panel decision. The development application, listed as DA2025/1403, seeks consent for the construction and operation of a medical centre at 12 Frenchs Forest Road East, Frenchs Forest. The proposal has an estimated cost of $9,472,498 and remains listed as under assessment.
The site is currently occupied by an open bitumen carpark and sits on the northern side of Frenchs Forest Road East. It is beside the Skyline Shops local centre, with residential properties to the east and north, and Northern Beaches Hospital located about 970 metres to the west.
If approved, the project would deliver a multi-level building with six tenancies, including medical consulting rooms, general practitioner consulting rooms, a future cafe tenancy and a professional consulting office. The plans also include 24 car parking spaces, two motorcycle spaces, bicycle parking and end-of-trip facilities.
From Carpark To Medical Centre On Frenchs Forest Road East
The proposal would change a site that has been used for many years as an informal carpark. The assessment report describes the land as dormant and not directly contributing to the activity of the local centre.
Plans for the building include ground-floor parking, access ramps, services and landscaping. A mezzanine level would include further access, a waste truck collection area, an ambulance zone, end-of-trip facilities, bicycle parking and a future cafe tenancy. Medical consulting rooms would occupy the upper levels, with a roof garden, atrium, lift and roof plant also included in the design.
The proposed operating hours are 8 am to 6 pm from Monday to Saturday, with no operation on Sundays or public holidays. Waste collection would occur twice weekly outside operating hours.
The application does not specify a maximum number of staff, although parking has been provided for 10 staff members.
Approval Recommended Despite Local Concerns
The application has been referred to the Northern Beaches Local Planning Panel because it received more than 10 objections and involves a height variation of more than 10 per cent.
The proposal seeks a 38.59 per cent variation to the height of building standard under the Warringah Local Environmental Plan 2011. The assessment report states the maximum building height would reach 10.81 metres at the parapet level at the rear of the upper floor and 11.78 metres for the roof plant screening.
The applicant’s written request argues that the proposed height is consistent with the adjoining commercial development at 14 Frenchs Forest Road East and would not cause unacceptable impacts on nearby residential properties.
The assessment report recommends approval, subject to conditions. It states the proposed medical centre is permissible on the E1 Local Centre zoned land and considers the site suitable for the scale and use proposed.
Submissions Raised Parking, Traffic And Height Issues
The application was lodged on 2 October 2025 and exhibited from 16 October 2025 to 30 October 2025.
A total of 13 submissions were received, including 12 objections, although one late objection was not counted for referral purposes. Concerns raised included off-street parking, traffic generation, building height, privacy, noise, outlook, structural impacts and site suitability.
Parking was a key issue. The assessment report notes a seven-space shortfall in off-street parking, but states the variation was considered acceptable due to nearby public on-street parking spaces within walking distance.
Traffic concerns were also assessed. The report refers to a predicted peak traffic load of 94 vehicle trips per hour, although it notes the likely volumes may be lower if all consulting rooms are not operating at the same time. The road network was assessed as having adequate capacity for the predicted traffic.
Other concerns, including privacy, overshadowing and operational noise, were considered as part of the assessment. The report states these matters could be managed through the design changes and recommended conditions.
Design Changes Made During Assessment
The plans were amended during the assessment process after further information was requested.
Changes included reducing the overall building height, adding a landscaped buffer along the eastern boundary, revising waste collection arrangements, increasing waste storage, adding privacy measures and clarifying the proposed building materials. End-of-trip facilities and bicycle parking were also included.
The assessment report states the amended proposal reduced environmental impacts and addressed the concerns raised through the request for further information.
No related applications are listed for DA2025/1403. However, the site has had previous applications, including a 2014 development application for a commercial medical centre and a 2009 application for tree removal
Published 2-June-2026
