More scrutiny needed in absence of character controls
It's time for a reality assessment of planning.
The Character Development Control Plan has been in existence for about three decades.
What has the Plan achieved to date?
There are two approved developments that have created new character on the Peninsula.
I refer to the extension to the Peninsula Village and the aged care facility being built on Hillview St, Woy Woy.
Neither development has similarities to the previous character on the sites.
In essence, the Plan is worthless, and has been since it's adoption.
If this is true why is the Plan still active?
The problem is not the planning instrument, but the many layers of authority that can overrule planning instruments.
In other words, all planning instruments have power that is surpassed by those in authority.
The Regional Plan is a perfect example.
At the outset that plan was created to increase development and population on the Central Coast.
Did either of these matters require any lobbying as has been the case with other matters such as the northern COSS and the objection to selling vital council assets.
In other words, there is a hierarchy possessing enormous power to influence planning matters.
This has been seen at various levels of the development assessment process.
One alarming problem of bypassing character controls is that no other assessment is applied in its place.
Additional information should be required to demonstrate the impact of the development, and the new character it is creating.
Consider the additional impact across all sectors as a higher density development is created.
For example, the Hillview St facility which replaces a fully-vegetated site.
Every issue should require additional research, as the development is an additional imposition to the site, area, and region.
While those in power have the authority to overrule planning instruments, planning will remain a fantasy, subject to change, depending on the interests of those in authority.
We have a perfect example in the Character Development Control Plan.
Single level cottages have been replaced with a consortment of designs, with the intention of increasing population density on the Peninsula.
SOURCE:
Letter, 12 Jan 2022
Norm Harris, Umina