Plan change to protect and improve Panmure

Local views of the Mt Wellington volcanic cone and Panmure Basin will be protected while business and residential growth is encouraged in a decision expected to help revitalise Panmure town centre.

The protection is secured by plan change 142, endorsed by Auckland City Council last night following a report from the hearings panel recommending the plan change be approved.

The plan change will help revitalise the Panmure town centre by introducing a structure plan to integrate residential and business development in the town centre and protect its views of Mt Wellington and Panmure Basin.

The plan change is another step towards providing for Auckland's growing population in a sustainable way. This will allow the city to capitalise on the benefits of that growth.

The plan change recognises the value of the commercial and community facilities and services of the existing Panmure town centre and supports them by: providing for additional height and floor area incentives in return for better design and improved accessibility applying controls to protect and enhance public safety and environmental and amenity value, including design criteria implementing the Panmure liveable community plan, which was the subject of extensive community involvement

The plan change will also assist in managing urban growth and development by supporting a more compact, higher quality, mixed-use town centre with good access to public transport, which is consistent with the Regional Growth Strategy.

The hearing panel considered 20 submissions and four further submissions from business people and residents on the plan change. The plan change was recommended for approval, with certain amendments made in response to the submissions.

The following changes were made to the original plan change: clarifications to the growth structure plan and design criteria clarifications to the rules applying to comprehensive development areas amendments to bonus floor area provisions applying a more stringent test for exceptions to the view protection height controls minor typographical errors were corrected.

It was approved by the council meeting last night with no further amendments. The plan change is open to appeal.

Other outcomes from Panmure's future, the centre's liveable community plan, are: the upgrade of the Panmure rail station, which is currently underway introduction of the Residential 8 zone, the plan change for which is currently being appealed the on-going streetscape upgrade of the town centre.

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