The fight is not yet over for opponents of the recently consented residential subdivision in Bannockburn.

Hearings panel chair Rosalind Day-Cleavin and Gary Rae approved the subdivision on May 31, following a hearing in March, for the 26-lot development on Terrace Street.

DJ Jones and NR Searell Family Trust first applied for consent to subdivide into 35 lots in 2021, but 80 percent of submitters opposed it, and the application was withdrawn.

An amended application last year for a scaled down version of 26 lots over the 17ha of land west of the Bannockburn inlet attracted 38 submissions.

Now the Bannockburn Responsible Development Incorporated Society - led by resident James Dicey - has lodged an appeal with the Environment Court, stating 25 different reasons why the development shouldn’t go ahead.

A deadline of July 18 has been placed to allow both Central Otago District Council and the society to enter mediation or go straight to a hearing.

The group believes the council has failed to properly apply the Building Line Restriction (BLR), which was established to protect the integrity of the town escarpment, preventing urban expansion into its highly sensitive landscape.

The group, which has approximately 80 members, believes that approval of the application sets a dangerous precedent, undermining the BLR’s function across Bannockburn and beyond, and eroding public confidence in planning protections.

There were also concerns the development would result in a significant and irreversible change in character for existing residents, particularly those on Terrace Street, due to intensified housing, traffic, and loss of open space outlooks.