THE council will have to revisit its plan to build a regional stadium as part of the sporting centre of excellence masterplan.
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A spanner was tossed in the works in recent weeks with a Land and Environment Court decision essentially approving a 99-lot over-50s village right next door to the proposed stadium site.
Tamworth Regional Council planning director Brent McAlister told the Leader the stadium would have to be looked at when the masterplan was revisited.
He said the initial plan, which has not been costed, was to build a 10,000 capacity stadium on a similar scale to Coffs Harbour's international facility.
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It is understood it would be an oval ground which could cater for higher standard AFL and cricket fixtures.
"There has been no detailed planning," he said.
"We're not chasing funding for that yet, we are chasing funding for the aquatic centre and the performing arts centre.
"But it is on the approved masterplan."
The council originally voted to block the over-50s development on the Longyard golf course because of the potential clash with the wider sporting precinct in the area.
However, Land and Environment Court senior commissioner Susan Dixon ruled the Longyard development was "not likely to cause land use conflicts or unreasonable restraint of the future use of the sporting complex."
The senior commissioner said only 26 of the lots might "be affected on limited occasions by noise from the stadium and the car park use".
Mr McAlister also contended that only 26 lots would have an issue.
In the Land and Environment Court judgement, the senior commissioner said acoustic concerns arising from the neighbouring stadium and sporting centre could be overcome by closing windows.
"With respect to the acoustic issues, I note that the experts agreed that the sporting facilities create noise at levels that exceed the criteria that was agreed upon and accordingly, there is residual impact," she said.
"The acoustic experts also agreed that the noise impacts for the inside of the residential dwellings can be treated by closing the windows."
The final judgement on the lengthy case also noted people who "decide to reside there will appreciate that they will be living next door to potential noise from regional sporting facilities at various times of the year."