The group leading the charge against inappropriate development in historic Morpeth is calling on the state government to add the town to the State Heritage Register.
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Morpeth Heritage Conservation Group has lost faith in Maitland City Council’s ability to protect the town after its councillors voted in favour of adding three Morpeth land parcels to the Maitland Urban Settlement Strategy in recent months.
The strategy governs future development within the council area over the next 20 years.
The most recent act was adding a parcel of land off James Street, between Northumberland Street and Tank Street, to the strategy which has been flagged to produce up to 13 residential housing blocks.
That land is now classified as an urban extension site, which means a development application can be lodged.
The application initially flagged plans for 39 housing lots on a larger section of land, but council staff recommended that only a small section of it be included in the strategy and the councillors agreed.
Group president Simon Brooker said the southern fringe of the village had previously been “off-limits to development to protect the look of the town when travelling to it from the south”.
He said the approval had set another precedence for development in the town.
“The council’s actions show it isn’t interested in preserving the heritage of Morpeth,” he said.
“The feel and character of the village will dramatically change if this site, the land on Swan Street [opposite Edward Street] and the old Morpeth Bowling Club site is turned into housing.
“If the town of Morpeth becomes heritage listed the problems with developers will go away.
“If developers knock on the door we will be able to say hands off, we’re heritage listed.”
This is the second time the group has called on the government to list the village on the register.
It applied to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage a few years ago, which passed the request on to the council for consideration.
The council decided it had enough policies in place to protect the town.
Mr Brooker said the move would not affect renovations or construction in the town because council policies already heavily regulated what could be done.