An application for a five-storey residential building in North Hamilton has been awarded in-principle approval on appeal.The application was rejected by the Development Applications Board (DAB) last year due to the visual impact of the project and a lack of details.However, Planning Minister Sylvan Richardson recently upheld an appeal by developers after a planning inspector recommended the project receive approval with conditions.Ashley Raynor, of the Design Group, said yesterday that the owners of the property, Atrium Gardens Development, were pleased to have won the appeal.The application was submitted in September 2009 by the Design Group and originally sought final approval for the construction of a five-storey apartment building at 45, 47 and 49 Ewing Street.The application was subsequently altered to seek in-principle approval for use, density, building height and site coverage.According to the application, the property would contain ten studio apartments and 55 one-bedroom units, along with a basement parking and storage level. It would also offer a secured entrance and reception area and an open-air atrium.Buildings already on the site would be demolished prior to construction.The DAB refused the application last June, citing the visual impact of the project and stating the applicant had not demonstrated how the basic infrastructure necessary to support the proposal would be provided or accommodated.The applicant subsequently appealed the decision, stating elements such as building design and operational details can and should be addressed at the detailed planning stage.Planning Inspector Brian Field said that after reviewing the documentation he was somewhat surprised the initial application was seeking final approval, noting the “paucity information provided, the quality of the drawings and the wholly inadequate design details for such a determination”.While he said the application was “basic”, he was persuaded by the importance of the project as a means of rejuvenating the North Hamilton area.Mr Field recommended in-principle planning approval for the project under restrictive conditions suggested by the Director of Planning.The conditions state that details relating to the building’s design and appearance, landscaping, and provision of necessary services will be reserved for a subsequent review by the DAB.Minister of Environment and Planning Mr Richards subsequently upheld the appeal after reviewing the planning documents with the recommended conditions.