Hearings panel recommends hospital land swap

Hearings panel recommends hospital land swap should proceed

The joint Council and Canterbury District Health Board hearing panel for submissions on the redevelopment of Christchurch Hospital is recommending that the transfer of a piece of Health Board land for a piece of Hagley Park owned by the Council should proceed in order to enable the redevelopment.

It also recommends that the Nurses Chapel in the hospital grounds be transferred to Council ownership to ensure its long-term preservation.

Council Programme Manager Strong Communities Alan Bywater says the Council and the CDHB have agreed to work collaboratively to achieve the best long-term outcome for the community. Both organisations want to make sure the redevelopment of the Christchurch Hospital provides the quality health facilities needed by patients and staff as well as enhancing the areas surrounding the hospital.

The panel also recommends that in the detailed planning phase for the hospital redevelopment, the Council and the CDHB resolve issues such as transport and roading in the surrounding area, public transport, car parking access to and from Rolleston Avenue, cycle and pedestrian access, wider precinct developments and landscape and amenity issues.

Mr Bywater says the panel accepted that along with the benefits, there would be some losses.

“While the panel agreed that the land swap may result in the loss of some trees in what is currently in Hagley Park and the redevelopment will mean the demolition of the Hagley Nurses Hostel, these are necessary consequences for the CDHB to be able meet the need for quality health care facilities for Christchurch, Canterbury and the wider South Island.

“However the panel stresses that the land swap is a one-off transfer and there is no precedent established for any future expansion into Hagley Park,’’ Mr Bywater says. “The CDHB has a conceptual 50-year site plan that demonstrates how the hospital can be renewed and redeveloped within the proposed new boundary, so there is no need envisaged to expand its footprint”.

Changes in the local Acts of Parliament to enable the land transfer need to take place at the same time as the district planning processes for the intended future use following the land transfers.

The panel also said that the height and plot ratios for the proposed buildings and the proposed demolition of Hagley Hostel, would be subject to appropriate district planning processes. The CDHB would also endeavour to try to reuse or display salvaged features of significance from the Hagley Hostel where possible.

The panel’s recommendations will be considered at both CDHB and Council meetings later this month.

ENDS

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