By NIKKI TODD
PLANNING restrictions limiting buildings at Fingal Head to two storeys and maintaining the current low density profile of the coastal village will be discussed at tonight’s Tweed Shire Council meeting.
Greens Councillor Katie Milne has put forward two motions for debate, calling on council officers to commence a developing control plan (DCP) for the hamlet much like the one completed at Hastings Point and to ensure the village’s two-storey height restrictions are maintained.
A lengthy and hard-fought battle by the Hastings Point community culminated in the adoption of a DCP for the village in February 2011, placing height and density restrictions on any future developments.
Cr Milne said a similar plan was needed to preserve the unique character of Fingal Head.
“Fingal is a special place,’’ Cr Milne said.
“It is a very small little coastal village, it is a hamlet. It is the same argument we were discussing for Hastings Point – it is a very low key seaside village with only 200 houses down there.
“And the community has fought for many, many years to keep it like that.’’
Cr Milne said the proposal for a DCP for Fingal had first been placed on the table as far back as 2004.
“Fingal was outlined to be one of the priority areas in 2004 for the Tweed strategy, but we haven’t been able to fit that into our planning reforms agenda until now,’’ Cr Milne said.
“So it is time the community gets a look in, and it is important that we protect Fingal. It could be a very simple process.’’
Cr Milne said the DCP should eradicate any confusion over the issue of height controls, which had become subject to manipulation after measurements in the Tweed’s Local Environment Plan (LEP) changed from storeys to metres.
“The LEP rollover affected Fingal in particular,’’ Cr Milne said.
“Previously, it had a two-storey height limit, but they could have ended up with three-storeys inadvertently with height restrictions set at nine metres.
“(This second motion) will ensure it maintains its two-storey character design.There are very few places in the Tweed that do have a two-storey height limit and Fingal is one.
“It is really important to uphold community views on that aspect and to make sure they are not penalised in any way with this rollover of the LEP. We need to ensure the control is maintained as it currently is.’’
Cr Milne is calling on council officers to commence a DCP at Fingal in 2013/14.
She is further calling on council to involve the Fingal community in the planning process by establishing a working group similar to those created to address other issues in the shire.
“Fingal Head welcomes the opportunity to work with Tweed Shire Council on a DCP that protects its individual character, as has been done for Hastings Point and other Tweed communities,’’ Ms Walker said.
“Standardised State Government planning mechanisms can only go so far. A DCP is a way to ensure what is special about the Tweed is taken into account in planning decisions and communities are protected from inappropriate development.
“I encourage every Tweed community to get one.’’
