Alexandrina Council votes down application to rezone farmland to build an extra 250 houses

A plan to rezone farm land to make way for 250 new houses in a tiny coastal town has been voted down — but could still be on the horizon next year.

The farmland in Middleton proposed to be turned into a housing development is shaded in red.

A plan to rezone farmland outside the seaside town of Middleton to create 250 new homes has been stalled by the local council.

Alexandrina Council last night decided to temporarily halt the motion for discussion in the future.

A consortium of landowners had approached the council in an attempt to have the 20ha of picturesque farmland rezoned to make way for housing.

Adelaide Development Company, which was behind the Blackwood Park project at Craigburn Farm, is part of the consortium.

The Middleton Town and Foreshore Association voiced their concerns about the speed of the changes and sought to delay the move until a master plan could be prepared.

Association vice-president Mark Laurie said the result did not mean the proposal had been permanently rejected.

Rather he believed the proposal would now be held until next year when the development code is fully implemented.

A report to Alexandrina Council said the housing development would ease pressure on land supply, which is predicted to run out within four years.

SA Water were investigating the capacity to provide water to the development as existing infrastructure could only cater to 150 properties.

Consultancy firm Ethos Urban completed an economic assessment, finding Middleton’s vacant residential land is largely exhausted.

A report to Alexandrina Council said Middleton had a three-to-four-year land supply remaining — but the supply was likely to be “much lower” because few vacant parcels of land were hitting the market.