Friday 24 June 2011

Christchurch City Council has revised its position on including land for the proposed Prestons Road subdivision to the north-east of Christchurch into the urban limit following the Canterbury earthquakes.

The Council is asking the Commissioners who heard submissions on the Prestons Road Plan change to the City Plan, to reconsider their recommendations so that land for a proposed up to 2600-household subdivision can be rezoned from rural to zones which provide for a mix of residential development.

The Commissioners had recommended that Private Plan Change 30 - Prestons Road Ltd to the City Plan, be declined because it was not within the urban limit of the Regional Policy Statement Proposed Plan Change 1 (PC 1). The Private Plan change was also not supported by the partners in the Greater Christchurch Urban Development Strategy - the Christchurch City Council, Environment Canterbury, the Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils and the New Zealand Transport Agency. The Council is waiting for a response from the Commissioners as to which process they want to follow for the reconsideration.

Chair of the Council's Regulatory and Planning Committee, Councillor Sue Wells, says the revised position of the Council and other UDS partners on the private plan change recognises the demand for residential land in the east of the city following the Canterbury earthquakes.

The Council agreed at a meeting yesterday (Thursday 23 June 2011) to the Commissioners' request to release their earlier recommendation and report resulting from the hearing in August 2010. A copy of the recommendation and report to be reconsidered is available at: h
portFinal4Feb2011.pdf

The Council decided to withdraw its opposition to the Prestons land being included within the urban limits at a meeting on 1 June.

All the UDS partners have also agreed to support the inclusion of the Prestons land within the urban limits and to withdraw their opposition to the appeal by Prestons Ltd to Plan Change 1. The Environment Court, currently hearing Stage 1 of Plan Change 1 in Queenstown, has been advised of the change in the position of the UDS partners.

"In light of the significant change in circumstances following the UDS partners agreeing to include Prestons within the urban limits, asking the Commissioners to reconsider their recommendation on the private plan change is the most appropriate course of action," Councillor Wells says.

Plan Change 30 proposes rezoning 205 hectares of land in the north-east of Christchurch to allow for a mix of residential development and business activities. The land extends from Mairehau Road in the south to Lower Styx Road in the north and runs parallel to Marshland Road, extending to Prestons Road. It adjoins the Burwood suburb and backs on to the Waitikiri and Windsor golf courses.

The plan change proposed up to 2600 households, although that figure could change.

ENDS

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