Council Receives Resource Consent for James Line Road Widening and Upgrade

A resource consent has been granted to Palmerston North City Council to upgrade and widen James Line. Construction tenders are to be called for, and planned subdivision developments can now go-ahead.

New housing growth in the Kelvin Grove and Whakarongo area has meant that James Line has needed upgrading to meet standards for residential areas. The consent relates to the section of the road from the State Highway 3 intersection to the railway line.

The planned upgrade will include provision for two new intersections, one being a roundabout. A long planned connection to Rosalie Terrace will also be completed.

Roading Manager Jon Schwass has welcomed the issue of the consent. “This allows Council to deliver a roading improvement that has long been sought by the community. It addresses the unsafe situation that exists for pedestrians in the area, and is an improvement that is well overdue.”

The consent was applied for in May 2016 and was needed due to the extent of planned earthworks and to allow the discharge of stormwater into a waterway, a small oxbow lagoon, considered a rare and threatened habitat. This will be planted and improved as part of planned subdivision works.

Horizons Regional Council issued the consent on 16 August. It applies to lengthening a culvert, clearance of vegetation and land disturbance and discharge of stormwater. Conditions imposed require stormwater quality sampling to monitor the discharge into the wetland. It also requires periodic sediment and macroinvertebrate sampling by an ecologist. A monitoring report is also required to be filed twice yearly to Horizons.

ENDS

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