Tamworth Regional Council design excellence standards: mandate could extend to region's villages like Barraba, Bingara, Nundle and Manilla

Tamworth Regional Council (TRC) has voted to adopt a mandate that will mean any new development in the city centre will need to improve the overall look and feel of the precinct.

The council introduced the proposed changes to facilitate shop-top housing, support the extension of Peel Street and relocate the caryards on Kable Avenue to a "more appropriate location".

But, at this stage, not all of the caryard owners are on board, TRC liveable communities director Gina Vereker said.

"There's a range of responses - the majority have said that because of their expenditure on the sites in the short term they don't have plans to move," she said.

"For the one's we have talked to, I have to say there hasn't been a great opposition.

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"That's why this clause is so useful, it's not affecting any use that's there at the moment, it's about future development and that's fine."

Cr Helen Tickle said she would like to see the initiative introduced across the villages in the region like Barraba and Bingara.

"There are so many empty buildings in their CBD's just sitting there - meanwhile we have a housing shortage not only in our region but across NSW," she said.

Cr Brooke Southwell said she looks forward to seeing the high quality urban design outcomes.

"I think this is something people in our region really want," she said.

The council will look at extending the CBD towards the new university precinct.

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