Lifestyle hopes smashed by development

Anna Sands and son Obe looking out their kitchen window at the view threatened by a development next door. Photo/John Borren

An Omanu family's lifestyle hopes have been dashed by a developer's plans to build a three-storey apartment block beside their back fence.

Anna and Chris Sands moved into their new home on Taupo Ave four years ago when their neighbours were elderly well behaved caravan dwellers in the Golden Grove Holiday Park.

But the sale of the motor camp followed by the announcement of plans for a 71-unit village styled development helped convince the Sands that it was time to move on.

The former camping ground at Omanu poised to become a high density development holding 71 units, a childcare and cafe. Photo/John Borren

They are building a new house and had a for-sale sign up outside their current home, which Mrs Sands hoped would sell before building began next door.

''It is not the lifestyle we came here for,'' she said.

They were initially left out of the consultation process because their home was built after the aerial photos used to decide who would be affected by the development.

But once the couple saw the plans, they realised that their main living area, kitchen and master bedroom would be in view of the apartment balconies. ''There is no privacy.''

She said they were told by an architect that it would have a negative effect on the value of their property.

Mrs Sands said they would get the full force of the 11m high apartment 1.5m from their boundary, plus noise from the childcare centre and the extra traffic on their street and Paterson St generated by the units and childcare.