In the Peninsula News, August 21, we read that a proposal for a 160-bed nursing home valued at $27.8m for a site in Hillview St, Woy Woy, was refused by Council. A mixed use development application, valued at $37.2m, to be built at Woy Woy Bowling Club, was withdrawn by applicant. A mixed use development, valued at $7.5m, for Morris St, Umina, was submitted to Council with requests for building variations. It appears that only one signifi cant proposal – a residential fl at building valued at $958,000 in Booker Bay – was submitted to Council with documentation that was within planning regulations. That’s a one to four success ratio. Why do development proposals outrageously exceed planning regulations? When the council staff holds developers forums and pre-application meetings with developers, surely compliance with the regulations should be expected. Is this good enough for the Peninsula’s residents? What is council’s administration doing about this failure?
Letter, 29 Aug 2017 Norman Harris, Umina