DA process leaves sense of grievance

Is this a common or rare series of events?

A Development Application for 11 units omitted my adjacent house.

When included, the DA did not comply with Gosford Council's Development Control Plan, because the entire length of my house was to be overshadowed by townhouses in June at 9am.

The house would be overshadowed from 7.45am to about 10.15am or later - a significant two and a half to three hours overshadowing on winter mornings.

Trivialisation such as "it's not much" and "the shadow will fall off the house after 9am" was the response from Council staff and councillors.

There was confusion about all overshadowing issues being covered by DCP section "Private Open Space", rather than the obviously applicable section covering excessive overshadowing of adjacent windows and substantial reduction of daylight and sunlight to adjacent dwellings.

I addressed Council asking they negotiate for one less townhouse to stop the overshadowing and so that the DA complied, but the decision to accept this DA was made prior to the open Council meeting.

I have an acute sense of grievance that I have been cheated.

For a reason unknown to me, a fair hearing for ratepayers has flown out the window.

Has anyone else had such an experience?

Shirley Drake, Woy Woy