Former Christchurch city councillors object to apartment consent on hotel land
Sunday, 17 October 2021
Two former city councillors are upset plans to build apartments on a Christchurch hotel site were approved without public knowledge.
Back in 2016, a property developer obtained resource consent to build 54 homes and a cafe on the grounds of the Hilton Chateau on the Park hotel. The site is opposite Hagley Park.
The construction never happened, but the consent was granted an extension and remains valid. It has now come to light as the hotel has put the surplus land up for sale and a new owner could build the apartments.
The consent was originally obtained by Auckland developers McConnell Property Ltd, which was considering developing the north side of the hotel grounds with 12 townhouses and 42 apartment units, removing four notable and protected trees.
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Former councillors Helen Broughton and Barbara Stewart are now challenging the process that led to the consent being granted without the public having a say.
They are concerned at the loss of the trees and the density of the housing if the development goes ahead.
Broughton, a community board deputy chair who is accredited to sit on planning hearing panels, said the consent application should have gone to a panel or commissioner.
She doubted any of the councillors knew of the consent, she said.
“I am concerned that it went through non-notified. One of the reasons given was that it would help the recovery of the central city. That is a nonsense.
“I don’t know how you would pack so many [homes] on that site easily”.
She said it was another example of a “destructive development being built to the very edge of the district planning rules”.
“This results in a developer allowing very little for the green space of plantings and resulting in significant environment reduction.”
Broughton said while mayor Lianne Dalziel and other leaders were supporting the recent campaign to recognise Christchurch as a National Park City, the council was allowing dense development at the cost of trees in the suburbs.
“While they are pushing the national park idea, this is going on in the suburbs. There’s quite a tension there.”
Building the proposed development would “result in the loss of a small but beautiful area in Riccarton,” and lead to “a major loss of environmental and vegetation surroundings in the area”, the pair said in a joint statement.
Broughton and Stewart said they would seek a meeting with council chief executive Dawn Baxendale “to formally request a review of our concerns”.
They also intend to engage with sitting councillors and community board members, local members of Parliament, and groups such as the Riccarton Residents' Association and Civic Trust, they said
The land is zoned for guest accommodation, which allows for medium-density housing development.
In their 2016 consent decision, council staff noted the proposed five-storey apartment building would be “noticeably higher that those around it”, but the scale would be compatible with the Christchurch Girls’ High School buildings across the road and “none of the surrounding neighbours would be directly affected”.
The consent decision noted new trees were to be planted as part of the proposed development.