Central Coast Council has drafted new planning controls to promote development to revitalise the Gosford CBD and create a living city.

The amendments to the Gosford Development Control Plan (GDCP) will provide opportunities for growth of the commercial centre of the CBD while ensuring that Kibble Park remains an attractive sunny space for the community to enjoy. The GDCP seeks to encourage creation of a distinctive skyline while preserving view lines to the ridge tops and activation of streets and public spaces.

Council’s Group Leader of Environment and Planning, Mr Scott Cox, said the plan has been amended to ensure the building design for the Gosford CBD reflects its status, in the NSW Government’s Regional Plan, as the regional capital of the Central Coast. The draft is now on public exhibition.

“We have a vision of what the future built form of the CBD could look like - taller, slimmer buildings around the new commercial core of the CBD, Kibble Park, with activated public spaces so people can live and work in the city centre,” Mr Cox said.

“Gosford is now the confirmed capital of the Central Coast and must become a true living city and drive development on the Central Coast.

Council’s Administrator Ian Reynolds said revitalisation of the CBD is something the community has wanted to see for some time.

“We want to see more cranes in the sky and more development moving in the CBD and these new controls will go some way to deliver that,” Mr Reynolds said.

“We are saying to developers this is a great opportunity to be a part of transforming the Gosford CBD and deliver good quality design that will change the face of the CBD forever.

“I urge the community to review the amended plan closely as we are interested in feedback as to how we can move development in the CBD forward.”

The amended Gosford DCP is on public exhibition until 16 December 2016 and can be viewed online at haveyoursaycentralcoast.com.au, under Items on Public Exhibition.