Housing plan goes to July hearing
Homes out of sync with neighbourhood
Aproposed 35-home development in Havelock North next to Guthrie Park will go before a hearing in July to decide whether it can go ahead.
There are plans to subdivide a 2ha site at 55-57 Brookvale Rd and build 35 homes with a new internal loop road to access those homes.
The homes will mainly be two storeys tall. Oderings Nurseries CHCH Limited is behind the resource consent application and owns the land.
Oderings Garden Centre is at the front of the site and will remain in place under the plans.
The application includes plans for a new customer carpark for the garden centre with about 40 car parks that could double as after-hours parking for the residential development.
In 2022, an application was made for the project to be fast-tracked under special government legislation, but the Environment Minister considered it was more appropriate for it to go through standard consenting processes with Hastings District
Council. A resource consent application was lodged with council in May last year.
It was publicly notified and attracted 49 submissions, most of whom (36) opposed the project.
As such, a hearing has been scheduled for July 18, when a panel will consider submitters’ concerns and evidence from the applicant.
A decision will then be made at a later date on the application.
The development site sits within the district plan’s Plains Production Zone, which is reserved mainly for growing activities and does not allow for medium-density housing.
However, the resource consent application noted much of the surrounding area has become largely residential over the years.
The development site is about 1.5km from the village centre and is right next to Guthrie Park, home of Havelock North Wanderers Football Club and a nationally renowned BMX track. Submitters opposed to the plans raised concerns about the lot sizes, houses being too close together, and dwellings being two storeys, which are “not in keeping with the design of the neighbouring streets”.