ONE councillor wants residents and Bathurst Regional Council to take more responsibility when it comes to planning the city's future.
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Councillor Monica Morse said that, while council has to work on its communication of pending development applications, residents also need to take more interest.
More frequently, she is coming across complaints about developments after they have been approved.
People not only wonder why council gave them the green light, but claim to have not known about them despite there being details publicly available.
Cr Morse said there were two developments in particular that were of concern.
The first is for the former Inwood Motors site, located at the corner of Keppel and William streets.
A new petrol station will be built on the site, directly across from the Brooke Moore Centre and the Catholic cathedral.
There were no submissions received on the plans, despite the public outrage that occurred after its approval.
Another place of concern to Cr Morse is a home in the Heritage Conservation Area, which will receive a second-storey addition.
"I hang my head in shame about Stanley Street. We passed a building that should have never been passed," she said.
Council's Environmental Planning and Building Services department is working on a review of planning controls in the Heritage Conservation Area, which also includes notification.
Cr Morse said council had to emphasise to residents the importance of making submissions on proposed developments prior to them coming to council for determination.
"Somehow we've got to do something about raising the awareness of the public in Bathurst to make comments," she said.
"I was approached the other day and asked why did we do this, why did we allow it. The only thing I could say to these people was 'You didn't look at the DAs, you didn't make a comment and you therefore don't care'."