School shuns retirement complex

A Lower Hutt primary school delegation has produced more than 50 submissions opposing resource consent for a proposed $150 million retirement village to be built next door.

Boulcott School principal Stu Devenport said while the school was not opposed to Summerset’s construction, it was concerned about the scale of the project, and the impact of dust, noise and vibrations the work site would have on its 360 students.

‘‘We are concerned how this will impact teaching and learning. Potentially we are going to have a generation of children going to school next to a building site for their entire [time] here.’’

Neighbours were strongly opposed to initial plans for the development which featured a number of five-storey buildings, including 247 rooms and a dementia care centre on a 3.3-hectare site.

Devenport and three pupils dropped off submissions from the Lower Hutt school’s board of trustees, parents and students to Hutt City Council last week.

Boulcott School shares a boundary with the site intended for the village with one classroom only 5 metres from the fenceline.

The principal believed the village’s design was not in keeping with the character of the immediate area which was mostly made up of one- and two-storey residential properties.

Devenport had also identified increased traffic as a problem. Extra traffic, particularly during school pick-up and drop-off time, could make moving along the narrow streets more challenging.

He said the school and Summerset had been in regular contact over the matter but were yet to reach an accord.

Summerset development manager Phill Stanley said the company was aware of the school’s concerns. It had already changed the layout of the village to fit with the District Plan in response to residents’ concerns.

‘‘This includes, positioning one and two-storey homes along the neighbouring boundaries, all of which are at least 5m from the boundary. Additionally, only part of one building will be fivestoreyed and this is now by the stopbank furthest away from the school and neighbours.’’

Stanley did not believe works would be any more disruptive than a typical residential subdivision, while earthworks had been scheduled around school activities, such as during school holidays, where possible. He said it was likely most traffic going to and from the village would be outside ‘‘peak times’’.

‘‘Potentially we are going to have a generation of children going to school next to a building site for their entire [time] here.’’ Stu Devenport