Wellington's growth sees city council review rules for 'character' areas

Sunday, 17 June 2018

Under the Wellington City District Plan, dwellings built or approved for construction before 1930 can not be demolished or removed without a resource consent.

The rules governing Wellington's unique heritage character suburbs are set to be reviewed as the city grows.

Up to 280,000 people are expected to call Wellington home by 2043, with about 30,000 new homes needed by then.

The council is reviewing pre-1930s character controls in Newtown, Mt Cook, Berhampore, Thorndon, Holloway Rd, Aro Valley and The Terrace.

Given the limited options for the city to sprawl out, Wellington City Council is reviewing its Urban Growth Plan and the District Plan.

It is in the early stages of scoping the pre-1930s character controls in Mt Cook, Newtown, Berhampore, Thorndon, Holloway Rd, Aro Valley and The Terrace.

Wellington City Council recently commissioned a report on development constraints and opportunities to figure out how the current planning approach might need to change to provide for future growth.

The study will assess the 'on the ground' character of some suburbs.

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A city growth plan will go out for city-wide engagement in mid-2019 and will ask ratepayers what is important to them and if the council should maintain the current levels of protection.

To preserve streetscapes in these areas, dwellings built or approved for construction before 1930 can not be demolished without a resource consent.

The council recently commissioned environmental planning and design consultancy, Boffa Miskell, to undertake a comprehensive review of these character areas, with a report due in November.

The character stocktake is the first step in a Wellington city growth plan that will set policy direction and be the backbone for a District Plan review.

The study will look at existing development constraints and opportunities, to figure out how the current planning approach might need to change to provide for future growth.

Boffa Miskell will undertake a stocktake and an assessment of the 'on the ground' character, the level of concentration, the extent to which the buildings contribute to character and any contiguous areas.

Newtown Residents' Association chairwoman Rhona Carson said the community would expect to consulted and involved in any discussions and would not pre-judge.

It will also see if there are particular buildings with outstanding character or potential historic heritage value that may warrant further investigation.

City council place planning manager John McSweeney said the stocktake was the first step in a city growth plan that would set policy direction and be the backbone for a District Plan review.

Thorndon residents' association planning and environment spokesman, Lance Gunderson, says character was part of the reason residents loved the area.

Peter Cooke from resident and community group, Mt Cook Mobilised, said they were hoping that most of the protection provisions remained.

'We have asked them to go down every street and give us a good picture of what the existing character is and what development has happened – if that has been good or bad.'

There was demand in these attractive areas, close to the CBD, for intensification an infill development, he said.

Increasing capacity in these areas while protecting character might include looking at hidden density – encouraging houses to be internally subdivided while keeping the front of a character house.

The city growth plan will go out for city-wide engagement in mid-2019. It will ask ratepayers what is important to them and whether the council should maintain current levels of protection.

Newtown Residents' Association chairwoman Rhona Carson said the community would expect to consulted and involved in any discussions.

'We won't pre-judge. There are already a lot of new, modern developments underway or consented in Newtown. We have concerns about the scale and if they will fit the streetscape, but we accept people have to live somewhere.'

Thorndon Residents' Association planning and environment spokesman Lance Gunderson said the review would bed considered on its merits.

The association did not want it to be a handbrake on improvements to quality of stock.

Character was part of the reason residents loved the area, but there had to be a balance between respecting character, while allowing a fit-for-purpose home, he said.

Peter Cooke from resident and community group, Mt Cook Mobilised, said they welcomed the review.

'We are hoping that most of the protection provisions remain.'