West Wallsend and Holmesville Heritage Conservation Area

West Wallsend is recognised for its significant contribution to local heritage, and one of three Heritage Conservation Areas in Lake Macquarie. The heritage significance of West Wallsend was first recognised in the Hunter Regional Environmental Plan 1989 (Heritage). The Lake Macquarie City Council Heritage Study (1993) and, more recently, the West Wallsend and Holmesville Background Heritage Study (2014) reinforced the heritage significance of West Wallsend, while also recommending expanding the conservation area into parts of neighbouring Holmesville.

West Wallsend and Holmesville have significant historical, social and aesthetic heritage values. The townships of West Wallsend and Holmesville were established as mining operations began in the local area. West Wallsend, a well-preserved example of a late 19th-century mining town, was methodically designed to accommodate the workers of the West Wallsend Coal Company. The township was large enough to support many commercial and community services and acted as a centre for smaller villages in the district such as Holmesville. The historical character and aesthetic significance of both West Wallsend and Holmesville is defined by their residential dwellings, commercial buildings and distinct bushland settings. Their setting and relative isolation from surrounding development is unique, highly aesthetically distinctive, and contributes to a strong sense of place.

The review reflects Council’s continuous effort to ensure that our planning framework is up-to-date and precise. The current area plan for West Wallsend and Holmesville is considered outdated and unclear, and an insufficient guide for development and protection of the unique heritage of the area. Consequently, the Lake Macquarie Local Strategic Planning Statement, adopted in 2020, initiated a review of the West Wallsend Heritage Conservation Area to better balance development and growth with heritage conservation and protection.

The purpose is to develop planning mechanisms that are more effective in providing protection to the heritage significance of West Wallsend and Holmesville, while, at the same time,  providing greater clarity to Council, property owners/users and contractors. The project does not seek to limit development but to more appropriately guide it in a way ensures the unique character and heritage significance of West Wallsend and Holmesville are protected into the future.

Council engaged Umwelt, an independent social and environmental consultant, to review the sections of the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2014 (LEP) and Lake Macquarie Development Control Plan 2014(External link) (DCP) that relate to the West Wallsend Heritage Conservation Area and West Wallsend and Holmesville Heritage Precinct.

Umwelt’s work included thorough heritage research and field work, and an up-to-date evaluation of the heritage values in the area. Based on their findings, Umwelt provided their assessment and recommended changes to the planning framework in a report, which the community was consulted on before being finalised. 

The proposed changes to the LEP and DCP are based on this work. The method and principles applied are consistent with current best practise for land use planning and heritage conservation. Proposed changes align with the principles applied for other Heritage Conservation Areas in Lake Macquarie.

The proposed changes to the Local Environmental Plan and the Development Control Plan are complementary.

The Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2014 (LEP) provides the framework for land use in Lake Macquarie. It identifies land use zones and other planning provisions, such as building heights and minimum lot sizes. The plan also identifies items and areas of heritage significance. A number of buildings in Holmesville and West Wallsend, and the West Wallsend Heritage Conservation Area, are listed in this plan.

The proposed changes to the LEP include:

• extending the Heritage Conservation Area to include the West Wallsend colliery and part of Holmesville
• reducing maximum allowable building heights from 10m to 8.5m in the Holmesville town centre and parts of the West Wallsend town centre. This is consistent with general building heights in the area.

The planning proposal contains a detailed description and evaluation of the proposed changes.

The Lake Macquarie Development Control Plan 2014 (DCP) is a supporting document for the Lake Macquarie Local Environmental Plan 2014. It provides guidance and details requirements for development that should be considered when preparing a Development Application (DA). These controls help to manage the impact of development on the environment, heritage and character of local areas, balancing growth with sustainability and community values. We have an area plan(External link) with specific controls for West Wallsend and Holmesville.

The proposed changes to the DCP area plan for West Wallsend and Holmesville include:

• reducing the area for the plan so it is consistent with the Heritage Conservation Area in the LEP
• updated general development controls
• new graded development controls for individual properties.

Proposed changes are outlined in the draft DCP. New text is highlighted in grey, and text being removed has a strikethrough.

Part of the Umwelt heritage works included assessment of individual buildings in West Wallsend and Holmesville. This involved a visual inspection of properties undertaken via vehicle and on foot. It involved external inspection from the public domain only. There was no internal access to any private buildings or property.

The individual properties were assessed for the contribution they make to the heritage significance of the Heritage Conservation Area, and given a grading on the basis of that contribution. This grading was applied based on the physical attributes of the building (such as architectural style and features) as well as its assumed age, visibility within a streetscape, condition, extent of change, etc. The contribution grading does not apply to any internal elements within a building.

Contributory 1 buildings make an important and significant contribution to the character of the West Wallsend and Holmesville Heritage Conservation Area. They have a reasonable to high degree of integrity and date from a key development period of significance.

Contributory 2 buildings do not detract from the significant character of the Heritage Conservation Area or heritage streetscape. They may include:

• buildings that do not belong to a key period of significance
• good contemporary infill development
• buildings from a key period of significance that have been irreversibly altered.

Non-contributory buildings are intrusive to a Heritage Conservation Area or heritage streetscape because of inappropriate scale, bulk, setbacks, setting or materials. They do not represent a key period of significance and detract from the character of a Heritage Conservation Area or heritage streetscape.

There are individual building assessment sheets for each property. These may be found in the appendices of the Combined Working Report and Heritage Control Plan Study. Individual landowners were provided a draft assessment in 2022, and an opportunity to provide additional information. The assessments were updated following community consultation and some properties were regraded based on the information provided.

The purpose of the assessment is to provide clearer and suitable criteria for development to ensure that development does not reduce the heritage significance of the area. In addition to these categories, there are specific controls for locally-listed heritage items (listed in the LEP), and properties within the Appletree Grove estate.

The proposes changes affect the community and individuals differently.

The area plan describes the desired future character of West Wallsend and Holmesville based on its history, unique heritage values and picturesque setting. From a community perspective, the proposed changes will help to promote and enhance the features people love and value about the area to ensure these qualities are preserved and enhanced.

The proposed changes to the LEP and DCP will affect individuals more directly if they own a property within the current or proposed Heritage Conservation Area or the West Wallsend and Holmesville Heritage Precinct Area and are planning for any building works and changes to their property. The proposed changes affect landowners differently, based on the location of their land and category of their building.

To find out more about how the proposed changes may impact your individual property, please contact us at [email protected] or 4921 0333.

No. In 2012, the Appletree Grove Estate development was approved by the Hunter and Central Coast Joint Regional Planning Panel. As the estate would be located next to the historic West Wallsend township, there was potential for its heritage aesthetic (the scenic qualities and original building fabric) to be impacted by the newer development. To reduce this impact, a Heritage Conservation Area and specialised development controls were applied to the estate. These specialised controls aim to achieve a sympathetic development outcome for the heritage significance of West Wallsend. Therefore, to ensure the ongoing sympathetic contribution of the estate to the Heritage Conservation Area, specialised development controls for Appletree Grove Estate will remain unchanged.

The planning framework considers the estate’s development differently to the West Wallsend township. It enables more flexibility due to the estate’s relatively new construction, while allowing a range of development outcomes such as enabling newer dwelling designs. Therefore, no properties within the estate have been assessed for a contributory grading.