A NEW subdivision of eight house lots is planned for a hidden piece of land in an area of Murwillum- bah that was mostly devel- oped years ago.

Leslie Baker, the sole director of Byangum Holdings Pty Ltd, is seeking to subdivide the 1.32-hectare site between Byangum Rd and Tombonda Road.

Town planner Darryl Anderson Consulting has told Tweed Shire Council the site contains one house and gardens while the remainder is mainly slashed grasslands and some regrowth.

It is surrounded by existing residential development with houses on relatively large lots.

Five of the proposed lots would access Byangum Rd by shared driveways, two others by their own driveways and one would front Tombonda Rd.

The consultants said the site appeared to have previously been used for cattle grazing in association with a dairy farm, and later a vehicle-maintenance shed and associated fuel storage.

However preliminary soil sampling did not detect any fuel contamination and no current or former cattle dip sites are recorded within 200m of the site.

They said the proposal was unlikely to result in any significant adverse impacts on the environment.

They added: “The proposed development provides a positive urban design outcome. In the circumstances of this case the proposal is considered to be sustainable and is in the public interest.”