Image: Walking SA
Hundreds of new apartments could be built next to St Clair Railway Station, with plans allowing buildings of up to seven storeys on a long-vacant parcel of land beside St Clair Village Shopping Centre.
The State Government has approved the St Clair Code Amendment, paving the way for an integrated mixed-use development across a combined 2.1-hectare site on the corner of Cheltenham Parade and St Clair Avenue.
Preliminary plans suggest the site could accommodate around 390 new apartments alongside an expanded retail offering, although the final number will depend on the design and staging of the development.
The changes will see the maximum building height increase from four storeys, or 15 metres, to seven storeys, or 26 metres.
A minimum height of two levels will also apply, with the Government saying this is intended to prevent under-development of the well-connected site.
The vacant 4,766-square-metre allotment was formerly part of Cheltenham Racecourse and will be rezoned from the Urban Renewal Neighbourhood Zone into the Suburban Activity Centre Zone.
This means it will be subject to the same planning rules as the St Clair Village Shopping Centre next door.
The location is particularly significant given its proximity to public transport.
St Clair Railway Station sits immediately to the north of the site, with trains connecting the western suburbs to Adelaide CBD on the Outer Harbor, Osborne and Port Dock lines.
The site is also serviced by the J8 bus route along Cheltenham Parade, as well as a shared walking and cycling path.
With St Clair Village already serving more than 63,000 residents, the area is expected to see further growth in the coming decades.
That population is projected to reach almost 79,000 by 2046, while local retail spending is forecast to increase from $890 million to $1.3 billion over the same period.
The approved changes also include measures designed to manage the impact of taller buildings on neighbouring properties.
Existing interface height rules applying to the shopping centre will now extend across the wider site, meaning upper levels must be set back from sensitive boundaries to help reduce overshadowing and building bulk.
The Code Amendment was subject to eight weeks of community consultation, including three drop-in sessions held at the shopping centre, with submissions considered before the final decision.
Minister for Planning Nick Champion said, “This is a site next door to a train station, next door to an existing shopping centre, and it has been sitting vacant. That is exactly the kind of land we should be putting to work for more housing.
“Building up on sites already serviced by public transport, parking and infrastructure means more space on suburban streets for larger homes and less congestion.”
The approval comes shortly after the State Government announced investigations and public consultation into potentially rezoning Westfield West Lakes to allow up to 2,000 homes around the existing shopping centre.
Member for Cheltenham Joe Szakacs said, “This is the perfect location in our community for more homes.
“This will create more opportunities for young western suburbs families to own a home near where they’ve grown up, or for downsizers to find the perfect place to find their new homes where they’ve been living for years.”
The Government says the redevelopment will create opportunities for young families and downsizers to stay close to their existing communities while using infrastructure and public transport already in place.
