11 February 2011

A bid to establish a new residential development in Hanmer Springs – the first to include apartment style living in the village - has passed a major hurdle.

The Hurunui District Council this week adopted a hearing panel recommendation to rezone 25.4 hectares of land on the southern edge of the village between State Highway 7A and Argelins Road as residential.

Plan Change 24, initiated by Hanmer Farm Limited (which has owned the property since 2001), would open the door to a new residential subdivision development in the township.

“St James Estate” would allow for the construction of over 200 properties ranging from minimum lot sizes of 350m2 to 1000m2, and include apartment living – the first in the village.

All high density apartment living would be confined to an area comprising around one tenth of the total site, 2.8 ha, on the north east part of the site.

In accepting the hearing panel recommendation to approve the Plan Change, the Council accepted St James Estate would result in a well defined entrance to the township, provide a range of housing options, provide for future growth adjacent to the village, and was preferable to ad hoc development in the Hanmer Springs basin.

New rules would be introduced as part of the plan change specific to the St James Estate to govern construction within the subdivision including height limits, site coverage maximums, setbacks, and roof pitch and cladding standards.

The Plan Change can still be appealed to the Environment Court. But if no appeals are lodged within 30 days, it will be formally approved, and put into effect.

ENDS

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