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A family who took on developers in a small country town - and lost - have refused to move out their pleasant cottage home despite it being surrounded by a massive shopping centre. 

Leanne and Rod Adams and their family continue to live in the shadow of the mall at their Bannockburn home, 88km south-west of Melbourne. 

The Adams family and three other town residents fought against the Bannockburn Central shopping centre in 2017, and took their protest to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. 

The Adams home remains a tranquil homestead despite its less than ideal surroundings...

The family home is dwarfed by a shopping centre, which is building a carpark nearby

The Adams house is pictured with a red drop pin. The shopping centre built around it when they refused to sell their land 

But in August 2019 VCAT found in favour of the Golden Plains Shire’s permit for the shopping complex revamp following a three-day hearing. 

Years later, the Adams' home remains exactly where it always was, nestled across the road from a green reserve on Victor Street near the Bannockburn Bushland Reserve.

Only now it is surrounded by the large shopping complex, which is in the process of yet another expansion. 

Daily Mail Australia visited the Adams home last week to find the family still happily living next door to the shopping centre. 

A large, friendly dog greeted locals as they walked to the centre. 

Around the corner, the shopping centre appears to have been embraced by the local community, with hundreds of people popping in to get their groceries.  

The Adams family dog greets passers by out front of their home, which has been built around by the large shopping complex 

The clan did not respond to a request for comment 

Rod and Leanne Adams continue to live in their Bannockburn home years after developers built around it 

Mrs Adams did not respond to Daily Mail Australia's request for comment, but she spoke out against the development in person at the tribunal.

She fought the council's decision to grant a planning permit for the shopping centre, which is now home to a large Woolworths and other small shops. 

While the large shadow and visual bulk of the centre was of obvious concern to the Adams family, they believed the centre was not keeping with the character of the town, existing land uses and heritage places. 

They further claimed it did not provide appropriate pedestrian linkages, adversely impacted important view corridors to nearby public spaces and failed to provide a high standard of urban design and pedestrian safety.

But the council claimed to have the backing of the people, arguing it had been planning to develop the site since 2011. 

The developer - a Geelong family business - agreed, telling VCAT the development was ‘grounded in and responsive to its zone, its overlays and local policy’.

It submitted the proposed development responded to the needs of a growing population and expanded the existing commercial centre on the subject land. 

Upon losing the fight, Ms Adams insisted to the local paper that she had never been against the council's idea to develop Bannockburn's town centre. 

The Adams home (far right) has been dwarfed surrounded by the Bannockburn Central shopping centre 

The mall is being well supported by locals 

Construction on the complex has stalled

She just didn't like the way it had gone about it, particularly in how close developers originally wanted to get to her property and the street itself. 

Mrs Adams welcomed VCAT amending the permit to increase how far the redevelopment’s was set back from Victor Street.

'That being pushed back is a win for the residents in particular,' she said.

Golden Plains' mayor at the time, Owen Sharkey, applauded the decision at the time. 

'We are pleased that VCAT has confirmed this decision,' he told the Geelong Independent.

'Now it’s over to the developers to progress the next stages of the redevelopment and we look forward to construction starting soon.'

Cr Sharkey said Bannockburn’s population was growing by 8.5 per cent each year and that the multi-million dollar revamp would revitalise retail in the town.

The proposal would create jobs, entice residents to shop locally and draw shoppers from nearby towns, he said.

'Local businesses are the heart of our economy and the new supermarket will attract more customers that will hopefully spend time and money with our small businesses in downtown Bannockburn,' he said. 

For now, the site of Mrs Adams' former neighbour remains fenced-off after construction of a nearby car park stalled. 

When it eventually opens, hundreds of cars are expected to stream past the home every day, disturbing what tranquility remains. 

Despite the surge in traffic, the Adams appear committed to stay right where they are. 

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