Community makes a clear choice on future of Horsley Park and Cecil Park

Council presented Horsley and Cecil Park landowners and residents with five possible urban development options, Options A-E, in November 2018. This was in response to the identification of the suburbs as part of an Urban Investigation Area for possible future urban development by the Greater Sydney Commission and State Government agencies.

Following three months of public consultations, which included 230 face-to-face meetings and a public meeting attended by 600 people, 75% of the 271 respondents supported change in their suburbs.

Options D & E (and 1 acre subdivisions in the northern part of Horsley Park) received 47 per cent of the support from the respondents, compared to 25% for no change and 23% for Options B & C. Two petitions were also received, one supporting Options D & E (338 signatures, 112 indicating they live within the affected area) and the other advocating for no change (370 signatures, 53 indicating they live within the affected area).

Council has now drawn up a new plan based on the feedback and the community’s choice of Options D & E as their preferred of the five options and will now be presented to the community for their feedback. The plan takes into account adjoining land uses and major infrastructure planned for the adjoining Western Sydney Aerotropolis.

This new plan maintains the rural character of Horsley Park and Cecil Park while providing more homes for families. It proposes 1 acre residential and rural lots south of Burley Road. Instead of medium density housing for the area south of the Western Sydney Airport noise footprint, small lot single dwelling housing is proposed. This new housing would require the introduction of sewerage connections to the area.

A new Cecil Park town centre is proposed for the PGH Bricks & Pavers site near the intersection of Elizabeth Drive and Cecil Road. High density residential housing was proposed for this centre, however under the new plan a master plan would be required for the town centre, which may include high density housing if a rail station is proposed as part of a possible future Parramatta to Western Sydney Airport passenger rail line.

The new plan replaces the proposed green corridors with one acre lots around the creeks, which will be subject to more detailed investigations to determine future open space and stormwater detention needs. 

Further consultation will be undertaken in relation to the employment lands to the north of Burley Road, particularly around the Federal Government’s Western Sydney Freight Line. This part of the plan has been deferred for further consultation with residents and landowners.

The new plan positions Fairfield City to capitalise on the planned new rail link between Parramatta and the Western Sydney Airport, which would connect Fairfield City to Sydney’s three cities and provide opportunities for education, recreation, and thousands of new jobs and homes.

This is subject to improved infrastructure being provided by the State and Federal governments.

Council will soon mail details on the new plan to all affected landowners as well as individuals and organisations that made submissions to the draft plans and invite them to make further comment.

Once the new plan is adopted, more detailed planning around roads, infrastructure, traffic, open space and environmental issues will take place in 2020-2021 in consultation with the community and State and Federal agencies.

Preferred draft Structure Plan