Plan for 13 units on Richmond site
Subdivision and land use consents have been granted for the planned development of 13 two-storey units on the corner of Waverley St and Gladstone Rd in Richmond, near Nelson.
Issued to Whiteridge Property Ltd by Tasman District Council, the consents help pave the way for the homes to be built on the 1709m2 corner site, which is opposite Jubilee Park and three blocks from the CBD section of Queen St.
Whiteridge Property Ltd director Rhys Horncastle, a former owner of Stonewood Homes, said one threebedroom and 12 two-bedroom homes were planned.
The homes would likely interest people downsizing, first-home buyers and investors, Horncastle said.
‘‘There are a lot of people who don’t want to have a section.’’
Provided all went well securing other required consents, work clearing and preparing the site would probably begin in June. It was hoped construction could be under way before the end of the year.
In a written decision granting the applications for subdivision and land use consents, hearing commissioners Christine Foster and councillor Chris Hill say the site is ‘‘ideally suited’’ to residential intensification by virtue of its location, size, shape and position on the corner.
‘‘The proposal is an appropriate design on a highly suitable site within an area of Richmond identified for intensive housing development,’’ the pair say. ‘‘The proposal will contribute positively to available housing stock and to housing choice, by providing a housing typology not yet common in Tasman.’’
Horncastle said land in Richmond was becoming increasingly expensive and the density of the development proposed for the site would help make the homes more affordable. However, he could not yet outline the likely price of the units, with some costs still to be determined.
‘‘In spring, I’ll have some idea [of prices].’’
As well as increases in construction costs, the resource consent process was ‘‘long and difficult, which added
significant cost’’, Horncastle said.
The application was lodged in November 2020. In June 2021, the council determined there would be limited notification, to owners and occupiers of properties surrounding the site.
One submission was received, requesting the application be declined. Among the reasons provided were concerns the proposed density was not consistent with the intended outcomes for the neighbourhood and the development was ‘‘too much too soon’’.
The hearing was held in November 2021.
News of the Waverley St-Gladstone Rd development comes after an application was lodged for consents to build four blocks of six two-bedroom townhouses on a large vacant site along Salisbury Rd at the northern end of Richmond. It also comes as construction is under way on seven two-storey homes earmarked for the corner of Queen and Oxford streets in the centre of the fast-growing town.
The 13 proposed homes on the corner of Waverley St and Gladstone Rd are to be built in four blocks of two-storey terraced townhouses. Two of those blocks front Gladstone Rd, with outdoor living areas between the dwellings and the road, which is a section of State Highway 6. The third block has outdoor areas between the dwellings and a neighbouring motel complex while the outdoor spaces for the fourth block face Waverley St. The front doors for all dwellings face the interior of the site, which includes the parking area. Vehicle access is via a central driveway from Waverley St.
Site areas for each unit range in size from 69m2 to 173m2 including the dwelling footprint and outdoor space.
Among the conditions attached to the consents is the requirement for a ‘‘kerb build out’’ along Waverley St to form a dedicated area for the placement of rubbish and recycling bins on collection days. The ‘‘kerb build out’’ will lead to the equivalent loss of two kerbside parking spaces.