A RURAL residential estate on the outskirts of Tamworth will have its lot size shrunk with environmental concerns playing a major factor in the decision.
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Councillors voted to reduce minimum lot sizes at Oaklands estate by 25 per cent at their last meeting of the year.
The move came despite some protest from nearby residents in existing sub-divisions who argued the lot size factored into their decision to purchase out there in the first place.
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The lot size was reduced from two hectares to 1.5 hectares.
Mark Rhodes noted there hadn't been one submission to the council in favour of reduction, other than the applicant.
He also argued a traffic study was undertaken during the Easter-Anzac Day holiday period and wouldn't have given an accurate result.
Mitchell Hanlon spoke on behalf of the applicant at the council meeting.
Mr Hanlon said native grassland in the vicinity had triggered conservation restrictions in regards to the development of the area.
He said the development had to adhere to a "triple bottom line".
"Environmental, economical and socio-economic sustainability," he said.
Mark Rodda was the only councillor to vote against the motion.
"It's one of those situations where people purchase parcels of land in the subdivision and they're under the impression the area of the properties will be maintained through the entire development," he said.
Originally, there was 80 hectares of land for stage three, which was intended to be a "large-lot subdivision".
Stage three, which was land once used for fodder oats, now contains sufficient native grassland to trigger the environmental thresholds.
The report tabled to council said the site is "substantially affected by ecological constraints and it is not guaranteed that a reduced lot size will allow it to achieve the lot yield expected from stage three."
Three years ago, the council also voted to shrink lot sizes at Hills Plain after finding there was better uptake of smaller lots.