Countdown on for Countdown:

More than a year after gaining resource consents to build a supermarket and neighbourhood centre in Palmerston North’s Awapuni, Countdown is still counting the cost of delays.

Progressive Enterprises bought the former Awapuni Tavern site, later used as the Kia Toa club rooms, in July 2013.

But it took until November 2016 to gain resource consents for what was proposed to be a $16 million development, as the city council insisted on compliance with new urban planning rules. With still no start date for construction, the company is grappling with rising building costs.

Property general manager Adrian Walker said the process had been a lengthy one. ‘‘There have been significant changes to the construction costs of the project, which we’re currently working through.’’

The company’s first applications for resource consents never even got as far as a hearing, withdrawn in the light of recommendations from planners that they be rejected. Another attempt to meet the new standards was eventually declined in November 2015.

At that time, the company had estimated changes it made in an attempt to get its plans over the line would add about $500,000 to development costs, and warned it might not agree to more changes.

The commissioners described the supermarket as ‘‘a large big box’’ distant from the street, with a large car park dominating the front area.

Countdown appealed the decision, which went to the Environment Court in November 2016, when a hearing was adjourned to allow the parties more time to negotiate a deal.

Consents were finally granted at the end of 2016 and the height of the supermarket roof was reduced from 11 metres to 9m to limit the extent of shading on neighbours.

The supermarket would measure 2800 square metres, with potential to be extended to 3200sqm – the size of the Kelvin Grove Countdown.

There would be traffic lights at the entrance, car parking in front facing Pioneer Highway, space for a group of shops, and an outdoor community gathering space.