A significant test in building sustainable communities is how Lot Owners deal with their neighbours when placing and sizing their homes. The approval pathway sets down a requirement for Lot Owners to participate in a neighbourhood exchange at early stage of their home design and we recommend the exchange is facilitated by a design professional. The aim of the exchange is to optimise the location of houses on lots to achieve equity across the neighbourhood in respect of solar access and overshadowing, and to consolidate at an early stage of the design consideration of both Hill Thalis and Central Coast Councils building setbacks and building envelopes and incorporation of common garden and services easements. The Building Review Panel’s recommendation with respect of access to sunlight is set out in Appendix 3 – Solar Access of these Building Standards. While the criteria are guidelines only and not mandatory they should inform each neighbourhood exchange. Which lots are included in a specific neighbourhood exchange will be agreed between the Building Review Panel and Lot Owners, and decided with reference to a lot’s potential impact on an adjacent property. Lots impacting each other constitute a neighbourhood for the Facilitated Exchange. As an example, Lots 2 – 6 and Lots 7 – 9 in Stage 1 suggest themselves as natural neighbourhoods. Outcomes from the Facilitated Exchange are to be documented in a Neighbourhood Agreement, which states the placement and size of Lot Owners’ homes and associated structures across the entire neighbourhood. |