The state government has called on Maitland City Council to show how it considered the heritage impacts on Morpeth when investigating a proposal to build seniors housing on the former Morpeth Bowling Club site.
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The NSW Department of Planning and Environment has requested the additional details before it considers Morpeth Land Company’s plan to build 22 single-story villas for over 55s alongside a childcare centre on the Edward Street site.
In a letter to Morpeth Heritage Conservation Group, penned earlier this month, the department said it had undertaken a preliminary review and would “consider the merits of the proposal and determine whether it should proceed to the next stage” once the information had been received.
Morpeth residents have welcomed the department’s request, saying it showed the state government was taking the heritage impacts on the historic town seriously.
They were outraged last year when Maitland councillors voted to include the site in the Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy, despite council staff raising several concerns about development on the site and recommending that the company’s request for the inclusion be denied.
“Council planning staff said it would impact on the heritage significance of the 1840 Morpeth Town Plan,” group president Simon Brooker said.
“We are very pleased the department is considering the heritage impacts and has asked the council for more information.”
Mr Brooker said the site, which used to be Crown land, was not suitable for medium density housing and its inclusion in the strategy, which governs future land development in the local government area, was at odds with several commitments the council had made.
This includes commitments made in the Morpeth Management Plan and the Maitland Local Environment Plan, he said.
He said seniors housing needs in the town had already been met with the Closebourne development and many of those lots remained unsold.
“According to Maitland council there is already more than 20 years of zoned land available to meet predicted population growth, so why does development on this site need to go ahead?,” Mr Brooker said.
The department will request further studies from the council if the proposal proceeds to the next stage and has confirmed the public will have the opportunity to give their feedback.