Lower Hutt set to grow up, not out
Hard work
It is known as the Garden City but gardens could be a thing of the past as Lower Hutt sections and houses become smaller and taller.
A radical change to the townplanning rules will alter the way the city looks: on Monday councillors voted in Plan Change 43, making it easier to build infill and terraced housing, and multi storey buildings.
In November 2017, then-mayor Ray Wallace said the plan change was aimed at repositioning the city and making sure young people could afford a home.
‘‘This plan change will put Lower Hutt ahead of the game in enabling housing supply to meet demand and avoid the housing shortage and skyrocketing house price situation ...(that) deprives young people the opportunity of owning their own home.’’
So what does the plan change mean? For much of the city the new rules will allow mediumdensity housing on sites larger than 1400 square metres.
That includes terraced and clustered houses, with shared parking and outdoor spaces, and buildings up to 8 metres high or two storeys. In suburbs with ‘‘traditional quarter acre sections’’ that could result in significant change, as land values skyrocket. If the price of land goes up, developers can only get a return by intensification.
First-home buyer Sonya McIntyre has lost count of how many houses she has looked at. The Petone woman is looking for a three-bedroom house in Lower Hutt for her daughter and granddaughter. Since May, she has checked out four or five houses a week, although on one Sunday she visited 12 open homes. She has put in offers on three but said the competition and level of interest was overwhelming. She has a $57,000 deposit and may look at Wairarapa. McIntyre had doubts about the plan change. Real estate agent Kimmi Seevens said that with only 240 houses for sale in Lower Hutt and record numbers of buyers, it was tough for people such as McIntyre.