Council's zoning change for taller buildings near hospital

LISMORE City Council will allow higher building heights around Lismore Base Hospital in a plan to facilitate more high density housing in the area.

LISMORE City Council will allow higher building heights in residential areas around Lismore Base Hospital in a plan to facilitate more high density housing in the area.

It follows the creation of a "Lismore Health Precinct" and public consultation with the surrounding community and stakeholders on how to accommodate the area's growth in medical services.

The zoning change would increase maximum building heights from nine metres (three storeys) to 16 metres (five storeys) in an area east of Brewster St, south of Orion St, north of Uralba, McKenzie, and Dalziell streets and west of Dibbs St.

It is the central strategy of the council's long-term plan to stimulate so-called "infill" housing in Lismore, alongside "greenfield" sites in Goonellabah and the North Lismore Plateau.

A council report into the plan argues the proposal is Lismore's "best chance of seeing significant smaller unit housing in close proximity to the Lismore Base Hospital, the (Lismore Shopping Square), Lismore Park and the CBD".

"The LBH upgrade and our ageing population will provide growing demand for one to two bedroom units ideally located in this precinct," the report says.

The report also identifies two risks with the proposed change - one that landholders might fail to take advantage of the development opportunities as a result of the change, and two that any developments might have an adverse impact on existing residents.

But it said measures such as a reduction in developer contributions would mitigate the first risk, while close supervision of planning applications to achieve the "desired urban form" in the precinct would reduce the potential impact on local amenity.

Councillors are expected to approve the zoning change at next week's meeting and apply to the Department of Planning for a Gateway determination.