Plan change set to revive Petone precinct

The western corner of Petone is likely to undergo a dramatic revitalisation as a result of a planning change soon to go out for public consultation.

At a council meeting last week, the council approved notification of District Plan change 29 which will affect an area bordered by The Esplanade, Hutt Rd, Petone Ave, Campbell Tce, Victoria St and Sydney St. The area is at present governed by four sets of zoning rules, which will be replaced by a single set allowing a broader mix of retail, residential and commercial uses.

District Plan subcommittee chairman Roger Styles says the change will encourage redevelopment of an area that has become moribund in recent times because of outdated planning rules. He says an independent assessment has found the change could generate an extra $500 million of economic activity in the next two decades and create an extra 520 jobs.

Among the most important changes will be a loosening of development restrictions, allowing an increase in height limits to 30 metres almost everywhere. Residential development will be allowed without a resource consent (at present one is automatically necessary), along with commercial uses, some light industrial uses (currently only allowed in certain parts) and retail developments up to a maximum of 10,000 square metres of floor space. (Retail development is currently restricted to between 500 and 3000sq m and only in areas around Jackson St, Hutt Rd and Gear St.)

The 30m height limit will not apply everywhere. Along the area’s three main roads – Jackson St, Hutt Rd and The Esplanade – the limit will be 15m (though with a 45-degree recession plane from the road edge). Design guidelines will also be more stringent for buildings along these roads.

(At present guidelines apply only to The Esplanade.) Any building over 12m anywhere in the precinct will require a wind assessment.

Site coverage will not change, remaining at a maximum of 100 per cent, and special rules will apply to sites adjoining residential properties.

Standards to cope with the extra risk of building within the Wellington Fault area also remain unchanged. Building heights and densities within the 140-wide fault area will be the same as elsewhere in the precinct. The council voted at last week’s meeting to engage an earthquake specialist to locate the precise location of the fault inside the fault zone.

The plan change, which follows three years of work and public consultation, is expected to be formally notified in mid-June, after which there will be a six-week period for public submissions.