Preferred character statement

Chute Street is the gateway to Diamond Creek from the west, where sweeping views of the valley are afforded from the hilltop location. Chute Street has a distinct and highly valued character within Diamond Creek, retaining its original small township atmosphere. New buildings will be moderate scale with a consistent street wall. The range of shop-fronts, cafes, places along the street to stop and sit and established trees will make an attractive pedestrian-oriented environment. Buildings will step down to the corridor of creek-side parkland and offer a pleasant aspect to enjoy this natural setting.

Objectives

• To respect the historic role and character of Chute Street as the earliest part of the town centre as a distinguishing feature and attraction for visitors.

• To encourage moderate density mixed use development that is responsive to the existing scale.

• To respond to the distinct fine grain character.

• To encourage buildings to step down the slope providing a link and orientation to the natural settings and leisure opportunities along the creek valley.

• To ensure retail, office and entertainment activities are provided as a secondary node to the retail core (Precinct 4), providing local convenience shopping.

• To protect the amenity of adjoining residential properties.

• To improve pedestrian and cyclist connectivity and amenity.

• To create a safe, accessible and attractive pedestrian environment activated through a range of shopfronts, cafes, businesses, places to sit and stop with established trees and other attractions.

Strategies

• Develop the retail, office and entertainment activities in and around Chute Street for local convenience shopping, a range of food and restaurant outlets and professional and other office based services but little if any retail floor-space expansion.

• Encourage higher density development in and around the Chute Street node.

• Investigate the implementation of on-road cycling lanes on Chute Street.

• Introduce flashing lights at the Cowin Street school crossing to increase visibility.

Design Guidelines

• Buildings fronting Chute Street should:

- Be designed with well-articulated facades, roof forms, fenestration, parapet treatments and other detail and materials to provide interest at the street level and reinforce the human scale of Chute Street.

- Provide active frontages at ground level to provide a safe and lively environment.

- Provide continuous weather protection (such as cantilevered canopies/verandahs) over footpaths, subject to protecting existing tree canopies.

- Include a street wall that includes both a fine grain and strong vertical articulation to deliver visual interest.

• Buildings on corner allotments should address both street frontages with shop front windows at street level.

• Buildings should respond to the topography ensuring the front door to the ground floor use is at the same level as the footpath.

• Development on lots directly interfacing with the creek should be designed to address the creek with entries, windows and balconies.

• Development fronting Hyde Street and Inglis Street should adopt consistent setback distances to adjacent buildings and seek to retain any existing vegetation along property boundaries.

• Development on Inglis Street and Hyde Street should respond to the surrounding residential use, scale and intensity.

• Redevelopment adjacent to 69 Main Street should be designed to reflect and respond to its heritage features.

Refer to the General Guidelines at Section 6.0 for interface setback requirements.