It is expected that councillors will make a decision at the February 17 meeting of council.

The Old Bar community learned just before Christmas that council proposed to rename a section of Bluehaven Drive that contained 35 homes.

The timing of the letter dated 21 December, the content of the letter, and the short consultation process during the Christmas/New Year holiday period angered residents, with Brian Groughan choosing to contact the Manning River Times to give voice to community concerns about council's proposed plan to rename a section of the street, Whiting Road.

According to council's letter dated December 21 to residents, the catalyst for the proposed name change is the pending release of land for development that is currently used by the community as parkland. Residents had until January 15 to make a written submission to the general manager about the proposed name change.

Following "direct communication with a number of concerned residents" council wrote another letter from council to residents about the proposal; this time it offered residents three options and an extended consultation period until 29 January.

Last week Mr Groughan said "they (council) haven't come back to us on the final proposal" but welcomed the decision of council staff to revisit the issue "because they realised people weren't happy", and said he was "surprised that council presented us with three options."

"It makes me feel that they just wanted to rename the road and thought they could push it through," he said.

"I don't think they (council) really thought it through and I'm happy that we were given more options."

Greater Taree City Council's senior leader asset planning Phil Miles last week advised that council had "received significant feedback from the community in support of option three."

The three options on the table are:

o Option 1 is to split Bluehaven Drive into two separate roads; the first half of the existing road would retain the current name/numbers while the second half would be renamed and numbered. The split would occur around the large central 'roundabout'.

o Option 2 is a modification on this theme which still conforms with the Geographical Names Board but is not their preference, generally due to the fact that Bluehaven Drive is extended up the leg and along one arm of a "T intersection", which is not normal practice (general the leg is one road and the arms are another). The benefit of this is that less current residents are impacted.

o Option 3 is to retain the name and numbering of Bluehaven Drive and use a non-conforming convention to number the houses internal to the central 'roundabout'.

Mr Miles explained that option three was a council proposal with a number of variations on the theme.

"The proposal was presented to Land and Property Information and the Geographical Names Board and while they indicated they were all non-conforming, they also acknowledged the benefit of such a scheme considering the site specific situation," Mr Miles explained.

"Of the variations presented, they indicated a preference of numbering the new lots opposite with the same house number with a "B" designation."

Mr Miles added that "a report is being prepared for the 17 February council meeting which will outline all three options with a recommendation to endorse option three."

ainslee.dennis@fairfaxmedia.com.au