Lindfield Village Living

lindfield-lib

Council has prepared a masterplan for the current Lindfield Library site.

The current Lindfield branch library on the Pacific Highway is about 60 years old and in need of an overhaul. This is why it will be relocated and a new library will reflect the needs of library users.

As part of Council’s award-winning Activate Ku-ring-gai town centre revitalisation program, a new library will be part of the Lindfield Village Hub project injecting new life into the heart of Lindfield.

Until Council is in a position to relocate, Lindfield Library will operate as usual at the current location.

Lindfield Village Living

259-271 Pacific Highway

What is Lindfield Village Living?

The Lindfield Village Living project sits within the Lindfield Local Centre, located at 259-271 Pacific Highway with a land area of 5850sqm.

The site is bound by the Pacific Highway to the west, the North Shore rail line to the east, existing commercial development to the north and existing residential apartments to the south. The site is situated 150 metres from Lindfield Station and is within the vicinity of the proposed Lindfield Village Hub and Lindfield Village Green.

Services and facilities

The site currently contains a number of Council services and facilities including:

Lindfield branch library.
Former Arrunga Aged Care self-contained units (now vacated).
Former Lindfield Seniors Centre.
Former Lindfield Seniors Resource Centre.
Ku-ring-gai Youth Development Service.
Lindfield Community Centre tennis courts and sun shelter.
Car park and access road.
Other elements on the site are toilet facilities, landscaped areas and a former well (subject to investigation).

What we have done so far

Council resolved in July 2015 to prepare a concept design for the current Lindfield Library site at 259-271 Pacific Highway, Lindfield.

28 July 2015 Council report

The existing community use of the library will be relocated to the other side of the Pacific Highway within the Lindfield Community Hub project.

This decision was guided by economic modelling which found that the best use of this land was for residential development. It also took into consideration the extensive community facilities and open space that will be provided in the Lindfield Village Hub and Lindfield Village Green projects.

The site is situated between the Pacific Highway and the railway line making it ideal for high density residential housing.

At the Ordinary Meeting of Council (OMC) on 6 September 2016, Council adopted the planning proposal for the rezoning and reclassification of land at 259-271 Pacific Highway Lindfield from community land to operational land. This will enables the site to be redeveloped in accordance with Council’s adopted masterplan.

OMC 6 September 2016 report(PDF, 117KB).

On 6 December 2018 Council lodged a development application (DA) for a residential apartment building on site.

See all information on that application on Council's DA Tracker here

The DA will be assessed independently of Council by the Sydney North Planning Panel.

What's next?

Lindfield Library will continue to operate while the new library at the Lindfield Village Hub is planned and built.

For information regarding the project, please contact the Project Leader, Louise Drum on 9424 0000.

New Lindfield Library

The new Lindfield Library will be part of the exciting Lindfield Village Hub project which aims to inject new life into the heart of Lindfield, and will also include cafes and restaurants; underground car parking and more open spaces for communal life.

The site of the current library also includes a meeting room, resource room and space for KYDS (teenage counselling service), which will all be included in the community hub site.

Features of the new Lindfield Library

The new Lindfield Library will be located on the western side of Lindfield local centre on the Council car park off Woodford Lane behind the Pacific Highway shops.

Council commissioned the Lindfield Community Facilities Study which includes a review of current Council facilities, benchmark case studies as well as extensive stakeholder and community consultation.

Key features that the study recommended include:

accessible – a place that is designed to be universally accessible inside and out and cater to all people in every way, including people with disabilities and older people;
welcoming, inclusive and accommodating – a place that can be used by a diverse range of people and groups;
spacious and open – a light, bright, free flowing, facility with generous spaces and connections between inside and outside;
flexible and multi-use – spaces that can be used for a variety of purposes and by many different groups;
iconic – an iconic building design that reflects the distinct identity of the local area/community;
modern – a contemporary building design with colourful spaces and up-to-date technology, systems and equipment;
sustainable – an environmentally sustainable building with natural lighting and ventilation;
adaptable – a building that can adapt and change over time to allow for new uses.

Why we need a new library

Studies and community consultation showed that gaps include:

inadequate space for all activities and collections;
shortage of shelving;
lack of study and reading spaces;
inadequate children's area and lack of separation of this area;
inadequate space for events;
lack of contemporary technology inclusions;
lack of adequate parking as well as issues relating to access.

About the Lindfield Village Hub

This will be a vibrant precinct on the western side of Lindfield centre in Woodford Lane behind the Pacific Highway shops. The project aims to inject new life into the heart of Lindfield by delivering a range of shopping and housing options, community facilities as well as a new library branch.

Learn more about the Lindfield Village Hub

FAQs Lindfield Village Living

Public exhibition (closed 2 May 2016)

This public exhibition closed on Monday 2 May 2016.

Council sought comment from the community on a planning proposal to amend Ku-ring-gai Local Environmental Plan (Local Centres) 2012 to rezone Council land at 259-271 Pacific Highway, Lindfield and reclassify the land from Community Land to Operational Land.

This site is also known as the Lindfield Library Precinct. Council has prepared an urban design study and masterplan to guide the future redevelopment of the site.

The outcome of the reclassification and amendments to the planning provisions applying to the site would enable the redevelopment of the site in accordance with Council's adopted master plan, thereby creating the capacity for Ku-ring-gai Council to better manage this asset for the purpose of supporting Council's asset renewal strategies.

It is important to note that Council:

Has no power to sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of community land.
May grant a lease or license of community land, but only in accordance with the Local Government Act.
May grant any other estate in community land to the extent permitted by the Local Government Act or under the provisions of another Act; or
May sell, exchange or otherwise dispose of operational land.

Exhibition documents

The documents below were on public exhibition from 24 March 2016 to Monday 2 May 2016 at our Customer Service Centre, Level 4, 818 Pacific Highway, Gordon and at the Lindfield branch Library.