Written by
30/08/2024
Villawood Town Centre is on the cusp of positive change, as Fairfield City Council approves a rezoning proposal aiming to facilitate a decent-sized mixed-use development moments from Villawood Station.
The project will consist of 122 residential apartments atop 2,700 sqm of retail space, which is intended to include a supermarket at the ground level.
The site earmarked for redevelopment spans a consolidated 4,412 square metres at 896 – 898 Woodville Road and 15 Hilwa Street in Villawood. This consolidation excludes the 1,391 sqm Apex Petroleum at 896A Woodville Road, creating a further layer of complexity. The developer behind the rezoning attempted to acquire this service station site but without success. This results in an irregular-shaped development site (see Figure 1 below).
Subject site highlighted in red and yellow, with Apex Petrol Station in violet.
The rezoning builds on the Villawood Town Centre Urban Design Study, which Council adopted in March 2018. The study envisioned the transformation of Villawood into a thriving hub that integrates high-density residential living with vibrant, street-level retail and commercial spaces.
Specifically, the plan targeted the area at 896 and 896A Woodville Road, with a focus on activating Howatt Street as a key pedestrian frontage. This street is central to the design, as it will form a direct link between Villawood Place and the station.
With Council formally signing off on the rezoning on 21 August 2024, the site has now been rezoned entirely to E1 Local Centre with a 27-metre height limit. The rationale behind is that there is an identified undersupply of retail space in Villawood. Currently, the area faces a shortfall of around 7,000 sqm – a figure that is expected to rise as Villawood’s population is likely to double by 2041.
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Propertied Insider is a planning and development digital publication dedicated to the NSW Market.
