In recent years, state planners have been leading a push to make it easier to build townhouses, dual occupancies and other medium density homes in a bid to improve housing choice and affordability.
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But, in Wollongong’s suburbs, these types of higher density proposals continue to attract strong community opposition when they are lodged with the council.
This week, Wollongong’s Independent Hearing and Assessment Panel is considering two townhouse proposals which have both received considerable criticism from residents in surrounding homes.
A plan to build four townhouses at 206 Brokers Road in Mount Pleasant, which council staff have recommended for approval, received 13 objections from residents.
The 1,200 square metre corner block was previously occupied by an old dairy farm homestead, which has now been razed.
In their objections, residents worried the design of the townhouses would be “out of character” with the surrounding area, and some also said they were concerned about the loss of house value in an “upmarket suburb devoid of these types of townhouses”.
They were also concerned about parking, privacy of neighbours and increased traffic in the area.
But council staff said the new buildings would be “largely in harmony with the ... character of the street”.
In nearby Balgownie, a proposal to build seven two-storey townhouses has been recommended for refusal by council planners.
Like the Mount Pleasant plan, 13 residents lodged their views, highlighting adverse impacts on neighbouring properties, privacy and noise concerns, flooding, parking and an inappropriate location for such a high density development.
“The site is considered [by objectors] to be in a relatively quiet location and within close proximity to a school and is therefore inappropriate for multi dwelling housing,” the council staff report says.
Under proposed changes to state planning rules, medium density dwellings which comply with all other rules could be approved without the need to notify neighbours in low and medium density residential areas..