A plan to rely entirely on manual labour to build a four-storey mansion, complete with sauna and swimming pool, in an elite Sydney suburb has locals outraged.
The undeveloped site opposite Mosman Harbour on the exclusive Lower North Coast is inaccessible to trucks, cranes and other crucial construction vehicles.
This means that all building materials will have to be transported by craftsmen to the steeply sloping site along Lower Boyle Street and Lower Spofforth Walk.
Residents have raised serious concerns about the risks involved in transporting construction materials along a narrow path on public land.
Mosman resident Peter Ritchie said there was a reason no one had tried to build on the prime land for more than a century.
“The idea that building materials for a four-story structure could be delivered by hand to this location is extremely ridiculous,” he said. Mosman Diary.
‘This is an extremely difficult site to access and build on due to its slope and lack of direct access to the street.’
“That’s why it hasn’t been attempted in over 125 years.”
Local residents have criticised plans to build a four-storey property in Mosman on Sydney’s exclusive North Shore (pictured is a conceptual image of the mansion).
The site is only accessible via two narrow roads, meaning workers would be forced to transport the necessary building materials by hand up the steep slope (pictured).
Resident Michael Bracher is also against development of the prime lot.
“It is not appropriate for the site, particularly considering all the materials need to be transported and cause disruption to access for residents for an extended period of time,” he told Mosman Daily.
Locals are concerned that the construction would encroach on the iconic Cremorne Point promenade, which meanders through native gardens and bushland.
Plans lodged with Mosman City Council reveal the four-storey home will be built from prefabricated materials and will feature a media room, swimming pool, sauna and bar.
The council’s planning department has expressed concerns about the requirement that all building materials be brought in by hand across public land.
The height limit for the proposed four-storey house and a proposal to cut down 13 trees, some of which are up to 9 metres tall, have also been flagged.
A planning panel rejected an application for the development at a Mosman Council meeting on Wednesday morning.
The prime site proposed for the multi-level oceanfront mansion currently consists of scrubland and rugged sandstone walls (pictured)
A council spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia: ‘A development application for 1A Lower Spofforth Walk was considered by the independent Mosman Local Planning Panel on Wednesday 18 September 2024.
‘Documents, including the agenda and minutes, as well as an audio recording of the meeting, are available on the Council’s website.
‘As stated in the minutes of the meeting, the Panel rejected the request.’
The plot last sold for $1.4 million in 2015 and is owned by Sanhui Jia.
The listing describes the plot of land as “incredibly rare” and “one of the area’s last remaining development opportunities.”
