Ministry’s housing plan in limbo
Neighbours want to oppose it, but there’s nothing to oppose.
Plans to turn a Blenheim motel into emergency accommodation have taken a ‘‘surprising’’ turn.
The hold up: The Ministry of Social Development has put the application on hold.
It’s still trying to decide its ‘‘next steps’’, a spokesman said.
But until the ministry decides to proceed with plans to convert Brydan Accommodation, in the upmarket suburb of Springlands, technically the neighbours have nothing to object to.
The ministry spokesman said they froze the resource consent application last month because they wanted to hear from neighbours, and let them ask questions.
But that meeting was four weeks ago. Marlborough District Council resource management officer Jenny Folster said the application was in ‘‘limbo’’ until the ministry made a decision.
‘‘We can’t do anything until the applicant gives us instructions,’’ Folster said.
If the ministry pushes ahead with the emergency accommodation, the 12 ‘‘affected’’ neighbours would have 20 working days to formally oppose the plan.
‘‘We need to progress this,’’ Folster said. ‘‘The council has statutory obligations and the community is waiting to hear what will happen. If they start the ball rolling, they will get their decision a lot sooner.’’
Affected residents that oppose the plan could put their case forward at a hearing, Folster said.
‘‘But the panel will only look at effects on the environment and the council’s planning documents,’’ she said. ‘‘We need to be objective in our assessment of their submissions. There will be a lot of emotion that we can’t take into account.’’
Objections about a supposed drop in house values would not be considered a valid objection, she said.
Crossroads Charitable Trust coordinator Janette Walker, who would oversee the property’s operation and staff in partnership with the Christchurch Methodist Mission, said she spoke to the affected residents at the meeting.
She was heartened by the sensible questions they asked and their response to her answers, she said. ‘‘Some of them wanted to know, ‘is homelessness a lifestyle choice?’ So I gave examples of families who were working and had incomes who couldn’t find a place to live, and I think that made them sit up and look.
‘‘They said they got that people need a roof over their heads. If they were still going to object, I think it would be pretty meanspirited. I said to them, ‘anybody that rents could end up in that position. It could be your children, or your grandchildren’.’’
A spokesman for the neighbours declined to comment.