The controversial Dan Murphy’s development application (DA), which includes a Woolworth’s supermarket, was given conditional blessing by the Northern Joint Regional Planning Panel (JRPP) on December 13, pending soil-testing results.

Two months later, the results are in.

Tamworth Regional Council developments and approvals manager David Lewis told The Leader yesterday the reports, along with an amended plan, will be provided to the JRPP early next week and its final decision was anticipated before the end of the week.

At the request of council, slight adjustments were made to the plan during the deferral period to enhance its “bland” street appeal.

Although the height of the walls could not be altered, the concrete panels facing Peel St will be embellished with artwork depicting the hills of Tamworth, Mr Lewis said.

While the change would not please everyone, it was an improvement, member of the Tamworth City Centre Working Group Cr Warren Woodley said.

“We were concerned about how it was going to look as part of the entrance to our CBD for people coming in from the south along Scott Rd,” Cr Woodley said.

“(The architect) came up with some ideas and we were pretty happy with that.”

A commemorative plaque will also be added to the Roderick St side of the car park that acknowledges the historical significance of the site.

The site housed the first physical government presence in Tamworth, being the headquarters of the Commissioner for Lands, Roderick Mitchell, the son of surveyor-general Major Thomas Mitchell who later presided over the first town plan for Tamworth in 1849.

Lodged by Tamworth Property and Development Investments, the DA seeks consent for the demolition of existing park structures and construction and fit-out of a shopping centre comprising a Woolworth’s supermarket and Dan Murphy’s liquor store.