The Wollongong Local Planning Panel (WLPP) unanimously voted to defer the proposal to divide 13 Pass Ave in two, build two townhouses on each new block, then divide those titles to make four.

The panel said the plan was “overdevelopment of the site”, and there were questions about the land’s suitability for dual occupancy, given its slope, floodplain, and stormwater constraints.

The plans, from Thirroul development company Develop My Land, had drawn opposition from several nearby residents who worried about the impact  of the townhouses on the character of the street, which was primarily single dwellings.

The designs had not complied with rules for building height where there is less than an 8m setback.

Council planners had recommended the proposal be approved, stating the variations from planning rules were “supported”.

But the WLPP was firm, saying the plans should be deferred until they were “significantly reduced” so as to comply – including relocating buildings, reducing their size, and increasing landscaping.

It said the proposal did not sufficiently address concerns over dual occupancies on constrained sites.

In overturning council’s recommendation, the panel, chaired by Sue Francis, told the council it should “consider the implications” of a clause in the Local Environment Plan (LEP) governing minimum lot sizes for subdivisions where there is a dual occupancy in existence.