LONG known for its sweeping lawns and river-view mansions, parts of Mt Pleasant are to get a zoning tweak which will open up some sub-division.

Three suburban blocks around Bateman Road, from Gunbower Road to Canning Avenue, and another five blocks stretching up Park Road from Deepwater Point will all be shifted up a zone to R20.

Melville council planners have tried to reassure residents the changes won’t lead to a flood of apartment towers, saying it won’t change existing height limits.

“The proposed density codes of R20…offers almost no potential for apartments as a minimum site area per dwelling applies,” a report to the next council meeting stated.

“It can be expected that the buildings in each subject area would be consistent with existing surrounding development and suburban in nature.”

The planners note that the proposed changes were suggested by ratepayers during consultation sessions and there were only a handful of objections from 38 submissions.

The changes are expected to add the potential for another 67 homes to the existing 192 in the affected areas.