Dear Dennis
16 Flinders Street and 10 Taylor Street
Thank you for your email about 16 Flinders Street and 10 Taylor Street.
I share your concern that the loss of Arq nightclub, Albion House and Bodyline will be a cultural blow to Sydney, as well as leaving vulnerable tenants at risk. These venues have a long and important history and have been vital spaces for the LGBTIQ community for many years.
While the City of Sydney cannot prevent a property owner from selling a property, any proposal for alterations or additions, or change to the use of a building, requires a development consent. If the City receives a development application (DA) for Albion House, Arq or Bodyline, it will be assessed against heritage provisions and other relevant planning legislation and controls, including the Sydney Local Environmental Plan 2012 and Sydney Development Control Plan 2012. Planning staff will also consider any concerns raised in submissions received during the public exhibition period.
How a site like ARQ or Bodyline can be used is determined by NSW land use zoning controls. These controls do not restrict buildings to a single or specific use but set out a range of suitable uses. The City cannot refuse an application for a permissible use that complies with the relevant planning controls.
A place can have heritage significance for any number of reasons, including a high level of community esteem, known as social significance or social value. While it is rare for places to be heritage listed for their social value, the City recently included the former Les Girls site in Kings Cross for its historic and social significance. It is possible that Albion House, ARQ and Bodyline have similar heritage significance, but this would need to be assessed by an experienced heritage professional.
Planning the future of Oxford Street
The recent sale of other, nearby LGBTIQ venues like Green Park Hotel highlights the importance of the City’s work on Oxford Street.
Last year, the City consulted with more than 1,000 people as part of our review of the planning controls for the cultural and creative precincts in and around Oxford Street. Some of the feedback included:
� 93% of people supported making Oxford Street a creative and cultural precinct
� 80% said Oxford Street held social and cultural importance to them
� 83% identified the importance of the LGBTIQ identity of Oxford Street
� 88% supported reviews of planning approaches
We heard loud and clear that embedding Oxford Street’s LGBTIQ and Gadigal history into our public domain is important to the community, particularly as we ready to welcome World Pride 2023.
We are currently inviting the community to provide feedback on our proposed planning
controls for the Oxford Street creative and cultural precinct.
Protecting culture
The City of Sydney has been investigating other approaches to managing places that are highly regarded by the community. The United Kingdom Assets of Community Value scheme, for example, requires Councils to maintain a register of assets of community value. Community groups may apply to list assets on the register, and if an asset is listed for sale, community groups have the opportunity to bid for it. This includes having six months to raise funds for the bid.
While the scheme only guarantees the right to bid, not the right to buy, it has resulted in community groups saving and owning several pubs in the United Kingdom. While the City is unable to implement a similar scheme under our current planning controls, we have recently recommended the adoption of a similar process to be included in the current review of the NSW Heritage Act 1977.
Information about the Assets of Community Value scheme can be found at bit.ly/3gOLSqm, bit.ly/3amLUo2 and bit.ly/3qZIgX7.
Supporting venues
Although we cannot dictate how private companies use their spaces, we can and do support venues and stimulate the night-time economy through a range of programs and initiatives.
They allow for greater height and
floor space in the area, while protecting heritage items, public spaces and local character.
They also create more space for creative and cultural activities.
You can find more information about the proposals and provide feedback online at
bit.ly/3AyWRNN. You can also provide feedback by email at
sydneyyoursay@cityofsydney.nsw.gov.au.

Protecting culture
The City of Sydney has been investigating other approaches to managing places that are highly regarded by the community. The United Kingdom Assets of Community Value scheme, for example, requires Councils to maintain a register of assets of community value. Community groups may apply to list assets on the register, and if an asset is listed for sale, community groups have the opportunity to bid for it. This includes having six months to raise funds for the bid.
While the scheme only guarantees the right to bid, not the right to buy, it has resulted in community groups saving and owning several pubs in the United Kingdom. While the City is unable to implement a similar scheme under our current planning controls, we have recently recommended the adoption of a similar process to be included in the current review of the NSW Heritage Act 1977.
Information about the Assets of Community Value scheme can be found at bit.ly/3gOLSqm, bit.ly/3amLUo2 and bit.ly/3qZIgX7.
Supporting venues
Although we cannot dictate how private companies use their spaces, we can and do support venues and stimulate the night-time economy through a range of programs and initiatives.

The City of Sydney has a Grants and Sponsorship program, which supports venues to become live performance ready and offers funding to businesses for programming of performance and other activities. You can find out more about the support we offer on our website at city.sydney/grants-sponsorships.
In response to the latest NSW Government Health Restrictions, the City of Sydney has established an $4 million grants program, in addition to our regular Grants and Sponsorship program, for businesses and creatives to collaborate on initiatives to support reactivation post-lockdown. We are also delivering $8.9 million cash and value-in-kind support through existing City grant programs and an additional $250,000 in new Covid-19 community emergency quick response grants to support small-scale initiatives which build the capacity of our communities to respond to the current impacts of the pandemic.
This package builds on the $72.5 million support package released by the City in April 2020 for small businesses, artists and others in the creative and community sectors, and the $20 million CBD revitalisation fund established by the City and NSW government in October 2020 to boost the city centre economy and support businesses over the summer months.
You can find out more information about these initiatives on our website at bit.ly/2U0Yq3b. You can also find the City’s discussion paper, An Open and Creative City at bit.ly/3mYu5PM. This paper outlines our plans to strengthen Sydney’s cultural life, boost the night-time economy and support the local live music and performance scene while ensuring that residents are not adversely affected.
I commend you and others in the local community for advocating to try and save these important venues.
Yours sincerely
Clover Moore
Lord Mayor of Sydney