THE developer behind a huge residential subdivision at Eglinton has been sent back to the drawing board after the plans were deferred by Bathurst Regional Council.
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Hynash Pty Ltd is seeking to create 219 new residential lots on 44 hectares of land behind Eglinton Public School in an area bounded by Freemantle Road and Logan Street.
The development application also proposed a small lot adjacent to Eglinton Public School for possible future school use along with an of green space at the rear of the subdivision and one rural lot.
But the main sticking point for councillors was the plan to redirect an existing water course to create a more convenient grid for the subdivision while there were also concerns about a lack of green space close to the majority of new homes.
Greens councillor John Fry said realigning the waterway would create “serious environmental risks”.
“To build over that water course would be committing us to a real range of dramas with possible flooding,” he said.
“We know from climate modelling that rain in the future will less frequent but more intense.”
Cr Fry also criticised a lack of imagination in the plans.
“This development appears to have been taken from the 1978 planning handbook and flies in the face of our 2040 vision for quality housing choice,” he said.
“Does it provide medium density housing? Does it supply social housing?
“Or will it create future social issues, will it be a future slum because of its design?”
Cr Monica Morse also wanted to see a better design.
“This is one of the less attractive subdivisions to come before this council and I would like to see them go back to the drawing board and do it again,” Cr Morse said.
The item has been deferred for the developer to lodge new plans showing “retention of the existing water course traversing the land including appropriate buffers in accordance with NSW Office of Water Riparian Corridor Guidelines”.
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