Pittwater Life April 2023 Issue

Not being very neighbourly?
News
It’s hard to imagine a better
view in the Northern
Beaches than the one from
Ruth and Brian Bridgewood’s
balcony overlooking McCarrs
Creek on Pittwater.
A minimum of 50 expensive
yachts are moored in the
turquoise waters with pristine
native bushland on the
opposite shore.
The view and serenity
are what persuaded the
Bridgewoods to buy this
property in 2017, investing
in an $800,000 renovation
– paying Brian estimates
“between $20,000 and $30,000”
in council planning and DA
fees “because we wanted to do
everything by the book”.
In 2019, their elderly
neighbours – who had raised
three children next door –
offered the Bridgewoods the
chance of buying their home
so they could be spared the
noise and inconvenience of the
Bridgewoods’ next-door reno.
That was the genesis of
the Bridgewoods’ current
problems which serve as a
warning to every Northern
Beaches Council ratepayer.
The neighbouring house
they bought had a boat shed
which awkwardly intruded
in an L-shape in front of the
Bridgewoods’ land.
But Brian, 80, had no boat
and no intention of buying one:
“If you want to waste money,
buy a boat.”
So when he and Ruth
decided to sell the property,
the boat shed remained part of
the deal, despite its incursion
into what would normally be
expected to be a natural part
FRUSTRATED: The additional storey built onto their neighbour’s boat shed
without approval, in front of Brian Bridgewood’s home at McCarrs Creek.
of their land.
“In hindsight I was foolish,”
Brian says. “I should have just
transferred the boat shed onto
our title. That would have been
easy to do.”
Enter Nick and Theresa
Hall, who purchased the
neighbouring property in May
2021 and began construction
on the addition late that year.
Pittwater Life made repeated
efforts to contact the Halls to
obtain their side of the story.
At the time of publication, no
reply had been received.
Further, Northern Beaches
Council hasn’t received
communication from the Halls
since the Bridgewoods made
their first complaint about the
addition being built over the
top of the boat shed in 2021.
Former NSW Planning
Minister Rob Stokes and the
man who strove to replace him
as the member for Pittwater,
Rory Amon, have both
supported and advised the
Bridgewoods.
As waterfront ‘cabanas’ go,
this one is an entertainer’s
delight. In view are fridges,
cocktail shakers, beer taps,
fully equipped kitchen,
long table and sumptuous
waterfront vistas.
All very impressive – except
it was built without any
planning permission and in
contradiction to the clearly
defined rules.
And it directly impinges on
the Bridgewoods’ enjoyment of
their retirement home.
In one of his last acts in
government, Rob Stokes
referred Pittwater Life to a copy
of the regulations involving
structures built on Crown
Land (which the surroundings
of McCarr’s Creek are,
requiring an annual payment
in addition to Council rates).
The regulations are pretty
simple; among them:
* Any structural works to
existing boat sheds require
Council approval.
* Nothing permanent to be
built over an existing boat
shed below the Council’s
approved high water
“foreshore building line”.
The Bridgewoods aren’t
too concerned about their
neighbours’ 16-metre
motor yacht that they say is
permanently tied up to their
joint wharf that, Brian claims,
is “supposed to be only a
pick-up and drop-off wharf for
boats up to six metres”.
What annoys them is the
unapproved addition, built
centimetres close to their
boundary and constructed
below their bedroom.
Northern Beaches Council
has confirmed that the
addition does not have
planning approval, and that
an order for its demolition
had been issued.
“Boat sheds shall be one
storey and no greater than
4.5 metres in building
height above the platform
on which it is built,”
according to the Pittwater 21
Development Control Plan.
“The incorporation of any
internal kitchen facilities,
habitable rooms, shower or
toilet facilities shall not be
permitted. Roof areas of boat
sheds shall not be used for
recreational or observational
purposes.”
Brian explains: “I rang
Northern Beaches Council in
2021 and asked for someone
to visit and put a stop to it.
Apparently the Council has
issued our neighbours with
a $3000 fine, but no-one has
been able to tell us if even that
has been paid.”
Ruth adds: “We’ve been told
it could take another two to
three years to go through the
legal system.
“Obviously they get to keep
the cabana in the meantime.”
The lesson?
“To be honest, if I was going
to build a house up here now, I
wouldn’t go through Council,”
Brian said. “I’d ignore the rules
like my neighbour did.”
– Steve Meacham
22 APRIL 2023
The Local Voice Since 1991
PHOTO: Steve Meacham