community - 2026-07-01

Manly retirement tower residents fear years of disruption under Wesley Heights overhaul plan

Source: manlyobserver.com.au

Older residents at the Village Tower at Wesley Heights in Manly say a plan to gut and reconfigure the building could leave them living through years of disruption in their own homes. The development application, valued at more than $8 million, would refurbish the interior of the tower and reduce the number of independent living units from 96 mostly studio apartments to 48 one-bedroom units.

Older residents at the Village Tower at Wesley Heights in Manly say a plan to gut and reconfigure the building could leave them living through years of disruption in their own homes. The development application, valued at more than $8 million, would refurbish the interior of the tower and reduce the number of independent living units from 96 mostly studio apartments to 48 one-bedroom units. Residents say they only grasped the scale of the proposal after a notice appeared on the building’s front door on 4 June. Several said the notice did not initially raise alarm because renovation works are common in the tower when a resident leaves and a unit is prepared for the next tenant. The Village Tower is part of Uniting Wesley Heights Manly and currently contains 81 studios, five one-bedroom units, guest rooms and small common rooms. Uniting’s proposal is to remake the building internally to create 48 one-bedroom independent living units, a substantial reduction in overall housing numbers at a time when some residents say the existing studios remain affordable and suitable for older people living alone. Uniting says the change is driven by demand. A spokesperson said the organisation...