Views sought on proposed plan change for NW Christchurch
Thursday
7 February 2013
Council seeks views
on a proposed plan change for North West Christchurch
Christchurch City Council is seeking the publics’ views on the proposed rezoning of three areas to business in the north west of Christchurch, following a study of the area.
The Council decided, at its 25 October
2012 meeting, that a plan change* is needed to rezone 100
hectares, currently zoned rural, for industrial and other
business activities to meet demand for land in the north
west of Christchurch. These areas are:
• approximately
15 hectares for industrial and other business uses at 711
Johns Road, north of Waimakariri Road (Area 1);
• approximately 50
hectares for industrial and other business purposes, north
of Wairakei Road between Woolridge Road and Russley Road (Area 2); and
• approximately 35
hectares for industrial and other business uses, between
Hawthornden Road and Russley Road (Area 3).
The Council is holding public information sessions where people can find out what is proposed, how feedback can be provided during the process and to speak with Council staff.
City Planning Unit Manger
City Planning Brigitte de Ronde says this is the first stage
in the process and the Council want to hear peoples’
thoughts and ideas which will be considered at the next
stage in the process when a plan change is
prepared.
“The rezoning of the three areas for business
is important to the recovery and future growth of the city,
while maintaining the natural and physical resources of the
North West Review Area (NWRA)**.
“We are very keen to
hear about the issues people think the plan change needs to
address and how they can be addressed. We are also keen to
find out what people envisage in the proposed business
areas, for example, the scale of development amongst other
things,” she says.
“I strongly encourage people living or working in the area, or those who have an interest to come along to the upcoming Council-led information sessions,” she says.
Come along to one of the sessions and have your say:
Drop-in sessions
• 26 February 2013
4.30pm–7pm
Russley Golf Course and Function Centre, 428
Memorial Avenue Burnside
This session will focus on Area 3 (Between Russley Road and Hawthornden Road).
• 27
February 2013 4.30pm–7pm
Russley Golf Course and
Function Centre, 428 Memorial Avenue Burnside
This session will focus on Area 1 (North of Waimakariri Road) and Area 2 (North of Wairakei Road).
Public
meeting
• 12 March 2013
5.30 pm–7.30pm
St Mark’s Presbyterian Church
Auditorium, 150 Withells Road, Avonhead
The public meeting is to present information on
what is proposed and the process going forward. The
presentation will start at 6pm followed by questions and
answers.
Comments can also be
made:
• online at www.ccc.govt.nz/haveyoursay
• emailed to nwra@ccc.govt.nz
• posted to
Freepost 178
Strategy and Planning Group
NW
Business Plan Change
Christchurch City Council
PO Box
73012
Christchurch 8154
or
• hand-delivered to
the Council’s Civic Offices, 53 Hereford Street.
The
final date for written comments is 5pm on 28 March
2013.
The proposed plan change will be subject to a process under the Resource Management Act 1991, including public notification, submissions, and a hearing of those submissions. In the meantime, new business activities cannot be established on the sites identified for rezoning unless a resource consent has been granted, or they are already permitted in the City Plan.
Background
The Council’s decision for staff to
prepare a plan change for rezoning three areas to business
came about following the review of a larger area known as
the North West Review Area** in October 2012. The review was
informed by feedback from landowners in the NWRA, guidance
provided in planning documents, and natural and physical
resources in the area. Natural and physical resources
include the aquifers beneath the NWRA that provides
Christchurch City with its water supply, and the productive
soils, historically used for agricultural and horticultural
activities.
The review identified a need for an additional 100 hectares of land for industrial and other business uses and identified suitable locations for this. It was also determined that the rest of the area known as the North West Review Area should be rezoned to a special ‘Rural Urban Fringe zone’ as part of the next review of the Christchurch City Plan (also known as the District Plan), which is to be undertaken every 10 years and will next occur in 2014/15. The proposed ‘Rural Urban Fringe’ zone is in recognition of the role of the area as a transition between urban and rural areas. Activities that are considered appropriate within the area include open space, sporting and recreational facilities, in addition to the ongoing use of the area for rural activities and associated dwellings.
To read the minutes of the
Council’s decision 25 October 2012 click here.
The attachments to the
Final Report are below:
• Attachment 1: Map - Location of North West Review Area
• Attachment 2: Map - Location of Proposed Business
Use
• Attachment 3: Final Report - North West Review Area
• Attachment 4: Map - Dakota Park Subdivision Plan
• Attachment 5: Letter - Christchurch International Airport
Limited
For more information visit http://www.ccc.govt.nz/northwestchchreviewarea
*
Before land can be developed for business use, it must first
be rezoned in the Christchurch City Plan (also known as the
District Plan) from a Rural to a Business zoning. Land can
be rezoned through a plan change, which is a statutory
process for amending the City Plan.
**The North West Review Area is the area between Russley Road/ Johns Road (State Highway 1) and existing residential and business areas including Harewood, Bishopdale, Burnside and Avonhead. This includes the three areas identified for rezoning to business.
ENDS