Catholic high school gets the green light to build a $123million six-storey campus – complete with a 'knowledge centre', café and 'fitness research hub'
- Santa Sophia Catholic College will be built at Box Hill in Sydney's northwest
- Planning Commission approved construction despite 69 formal objections
- The school will cater for 1,860 kindergarten to Year 12 students
- The campus will have roof-top sporting facilities across four linked buildings
A new $123million Catholic high school for almost 2,000 students and staff has been approved to be built in Sydney's northwest despite objection from neighbours.
Santa Sophia Catholic College at Box Hill will have six storey towers with roof-top sporting facilities across four linked buildings, a knowledge centre, and fitness research hub
The kindergarten to Year 12 campus was approved on Tuesday for the New South Wales Planning Commission.
The brand new development will also include creative spaces and performing areas, a cafe and be surrounded by shops and high-density housing.
A $123million high-rise Catholic high school has been approved to be built equipped with a knowledge centre, cafe and fitness research hub
The kindergarten to Year 12 school was approved on Tuesday for the brand new development site, which will include shops and high-density housing
When up and running it will cater for 1,860 kindergarten to Year 12 students as well as 130 staff.
A childcare centre will also be built on the same site accommodating for 60 young children, the Daily Telegraph reported.
The school campus will be surrounded by 9,600 brand new homes as part of the 'northwest growth area' development program.
A representative from the Independent Planning Commission said there was positive response when the plans were proposed.
The plans said the school is going to provide 'an activated and vibrant hub for the community and meeting demand for educational facilities in the growth area'.
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But residents in surrounding neighbourhoods raised concerns, with 69 formal objections being placed.
Most of the rejections highlighted issues in regards to site suitability, building form, urban design, traffic, transport and safety at the school.
'Schools are constructed to outlast many generations and key to their placement is the capacity to expand,' Kenthurst resident Karl Medak wrote.
'The proposed development is constrained to an acre of land when CEDP have another alternative that was previously reserved for this school that is over five times larger …'
The negative submissions led the Department of Planning, Industry and Environment to refer the plans to the Independent Planning Commission.
But the Hills Shire Council argued that the school plan was unsatisfactory and was concerned the school would rely on council-owned sports fields
The diocese responded by saying all the required space would be within the school boundary, allowing seven square metres per student.
The campus is set to have buildings as high as six-storeys with classrooms, creative spaces and performing areas
The Planning Commission has approved the construction of Santa Sophia Catholic College at Box Hill, in Sydney's northwest
The commission went on to approve the school despite the negative submissions by local residents.
'Due to the nature of a vertical school, student exposure railings and balustrades is an unavoidable aspect of operations,' the commission said.
But it agreed that all play areas on upper levels are built to ensure students remain safe.
Santa Sophia principal Mark De Vries said he was excited by the outcome.
'This decision provides clarity and certainty for all local families in the Box Hill area and greater northwest Sydney that they will have an option for the suburb's first secondary school,' he said.
