SINGLETON Council is expected to make a submission to the NSW Department of Planning today outlining issues with the State Significant Site (SSS) study of the Huntlee New Town.

A report on the SSS Study went before Singleton Council’s ordinary meeting last night and described parts of the study as ambiguous.

The report, prepared by the Planning and Regulations department’s strategic planner Gary Pearson identifies a lack of consultation with council by developers which is a “contradiction of the Director General’s requirements and has resulted in the study failing to address council’s concerns”.

Singleton Council’s director planning and regulations Mark Ihlein said there has been a broad consultation but council has not been given the chance to ‘nut out’ the planning.

“This time we want to make sure all the issues are on the table early on,” he said.

Issues surrounding the naming of the Huntlee State Environmental Planning Policy are outlined as problems for council during the drafting process of its new Local Environment Plan (LEP).

The council report states “the written instrument of amendment to SEPP (Major Projects) 2005, the proposed development control plan(s) for the site and the instrument for levying of contributions towards infrastructure and facilities are of particular relevance.

The report identifies problems with the lack of specific details of the proposed population distribution for each area of the development comprised within the Singleton local government area.

There is particular concern with what proposed population of the development in the Cessnock LGA will have access to facilities located in the Singleton LGA, and vice versa.

Singleton Council is also incorrectly referred to as Singleton Shire Council throughout the SSS Study.

Details of how LGA cross boundary issues will be resolved are also not clear.

Most problems with the study are in regards to zoning and identifies additional problems with subdivision.

“We would like to have the opportunity to know where we are at with the planning controls,” Mr Ihlein said yesterday.

The report supports the development of the Huntlee New Town site overall but identifies significant concern with the content and process of preparation of the State Significant Site Study.