The application - submitted for advertising on the City of Ballarat planning website - proposes a 38-lot subdivision of a largely vacant block of land at 426-434 Kline Street, just to the east of the Sparrow Ground reserve, measuring around 2.5 hectares in size.

It follows the recent listing for sale of the former commonwealth government rifle range, as well as a series of similar infill development proposals across the suburb, where the supply of vacant residential land is fast dwindling.

If approved, the Kline Street project would constitute the latest infill development in an area commonly overlooked in analyses of housing growth across Ballarat, which tend to focus their attention on greenfield development in the booming suburbs to the city's west.

According to the planning documents, the subject site is currently home to two old residential dwellings - to be demolished as part of the development - as well as six "high retention value" trees, which the developer has proposed to retain.

The site itself is already fully serviced and would require no physical changes to facilitate the development, despite the gradual decline to the rear of the property and slight risk of flooding.

Though the planning application discloses varied lot sizes ranging between 300 and 751 square metres, nothing in the way of detail or design has been provided regarding future construction on the property, nor parking capacity.

It merely states that the proposed development aligns with the objectives and requirements of the Ballarat planning scheme, and is "worthy of council's support": "the proposed development will provide a high standard of onsite amenity without unreasonably affecting the amenity of the adjoining lots," it says.

With a view to curbing the extent of urban sprawl to the west of the city, the City of Ballarat has, for a number of years, sought to absorb 50 per cent of its housing growth through infill development. Notwithstanding that, however, the most recent data suggests a figure approaching something closer to 30 per cent, at best.

City-wide, the number of private dwellings now exceeds 50,200 - an increase of nearly 40 per cent over the past decade.

MEANWHILE

A medium-sized development of single-storey terrace-like dwellings has been proposed for Mount Pleasant, promising to add 14 lots to one of the suburb's newest pockets of infill development if approved.

The Fraser Street site, situated just around the corner from the Ballarat observatory and museum, measures a little over half an acre in size and boasts a street front of about 100 metres. Directly opposite the site sits a line of recently constructed single-storey detached dwellings, and to the west lies an unmade section of Fincham Street.

Though a considerable degree of vegetation is to be found behind the subject site, the site itself is relatively flat and devoid of trees or shrubs.

According to the planning application, the land comprises part of a much larger site set aside for a major subdivision in 2015 which ultimately never materialised.

The current proposal was submitted to City of Ballarat planners some months ago, who levelled concerns at the building footprint and lack of separation between the dwellings, which - in their view - stood at odds with the prevailing neighbourhood character of the area.

IN OTHER NEWS

In answer, the developer has since amended its plans, reducing five of the 14 dwellings to one-bedroom dwellings.

This, the developer said, would not only allow for the desired spacing between dwellings, but would give rise to a number of ancillary benefits, including increased "areas of private open space, varied setbacks and a diversity of built form".

With a depth of just 23 metres, all of the 14 proposed lots err on the smaller side of things, with most measuring 174 square-metres and some just 163 square-metres.

Notwithstanding that, each lot has been allocated over 63 square-metres of private open space and two statement trees - one to the front and back of each dwelling.

So far as planning support is concerned, the developer said the proposal is "in keeping with [the] streetscape" and constituted desired "incremental growth" in an area designated as an "ongoing change area" under the planning scheme.

"The site is appropriate for infill residential development," it said in the planning application, adding that the "proposed density is appropriate given connections to local services and amenities."

"The site is a short walk from three bus stops and is within cycling distance of local amenities."

Much of the balance of the planning application focuses on potential parking issues, with the developer seeking a small parking dispensation for visitors.

This, they said, was justified, given the provision made for onsite resident parking as well as what they called "ample parking opportunity" for visitors along Fraser Street.

The site is zoned general residential and is not subject to any overlays. Residents can view the application on council's planning website.

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