Newcastle council says controversial changes to the height and massing of Iris Capital's apartment development in the Hunter Street Mall should be approved because the new proposal is "substantially the same" as an earlier version given the green light in 2017.
The development has faced a backlash from the Newcastle Club, Newcastle Inner City Residents Association, Newcastle East Residents Group, the National Trust and Anglican Dean Katherine Bowyer after Iris lodged revised plans for the project last year.
The informal alliance of objectors says Iris's revised plans for the final two stages of its EastEnd development threaten heritage buildings and obscure view corridors to and from Christ Church Cathedral and other significant buildings on The Hill.
In July, Newcastle Club chief executive Ian Baker blasted the changes as a "blatant and unashamed ambit claim" and a "betrayal" of nearby residents.
Iris has already knocked down buildings on the redevelopment site, including a 19th century timber house in King Street the National Trust regarded as historically significant.
The developer applied last year to "remass" the project to create a public square and open a view corridor to the cathedral in return for taller buildings on other parts of the site.
The proposed changes to the concept approval included adding another three floors to a planned seven-storey building in front of the Newcastle Club and an additional five storeys to another new apartment tower.
The company has lodged a separate application to develop the third and fourth stages.
City of Newcastle's assessment report on the proposed concept approval modification says the changes satisfy the "substantially the same development test" required by planning laws.
The Hunter Central Coast Regional Planning Panel will refer to the council report when it assesses whether the concept plan changes should be approved.
The council agreed with Iris's opinion that the proposed changes in height and building layout "are to facilitate an improved view corridor from the harbour to Christ Church Cathedral and have arisen as a result of the Design Excellence Competition, in which CN identified the corridor as being of public interest".
Council staff wrote in a letter to Iris in October that the "bulk and scale" of one of the proposed buildings "may detract from the landmark nature of the Newcastle Club", but the council appears to have overcome those doubts.
The assessment report says changing the approved height of the building will block out more of the club's harbour views but "this is moderate and is considered acceptable".
The report says Segenhoe apartments residents will lose views of the city centre, the southern portion of the harbour and Fort Scratchley but not the "highly valuable portions of the existing views".
The report says the building envelopes approved under the 2017 concept plan already affect public views and the proposed modification "facilitates a significant enhancement to the view corridor from the harbour to Christ Church Cathedral".
The group of objectors is digesting the council assessment before commenting publicly on Wednesday.
