18 Sep 2024

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Christchurch City Council has made its first decisions on the city’s Housing and Business Choice Plan Change, Plan Change 14.

The Council met today to decide on a limited number of the Independent Hearings Panel’s (IHP) recommendations, including the City Centre Zone, the de-listing of some heritage items, and several qualifying matters, which are constraints on intensification, in the City Centre Zone. 

One of today’s key decisions means that, within the central city, buildings less than 28 metres tall no longer need resource consent from the Council. 

Mayor Phil Mauger says it is great to have made a start on finalising some aspects of the plan change. 

“Plan Change 14 has been a huge and complex process for our city and the decision-making part of it can’t be rushed. 

“We’ve been able to give some certainty to the community today, particularly around much of the central city and new building-height provisions. 

“While we have a time extension from the Government, staff are busy making sure we’ve got absolute clarity around some of the IHP’s recommendations, as well as preparing the necessary information so we’re ready to make the bigger decisions before the end of the year,” the Mayor says. 

The Council is currently required to make decisions on those parts of Plan Change 14 that relate to greater heights and densities in and around the central city and commercial centres – such as Riccarton, Papanui and Hornby – by 20 December. 

Those decisions relate to policies 3 and 4 of the National Policy Statement for Urban Development. 

Decisions beyond those two policies do not need to be made until the end of next year, meaning the Council has more time to consider what wider housing intensification will look like for the district. 

Council staff are currently working through a number of clarifications with the IHP ahead of the Council being scheduled to make more substantive decisions on Plan Change 14 by 4 December. 

The IHP recommendations accepted by the Council today are now automatically in legal effect and the District Plan will be updated in the coming days to reflect the new provisions. 

Read today’s Council report on Plan Change 14. 

Recommendations the Council decided on today 

The Council decided to accept the Independent Hearings Panel’s (IHP) recommendations for part of the City Centre Zone, excluding certain areas (map). Key recommendations that were accepted include: 

  • A building heights framework that means all complying buildings less than 28m high do not require resource consent.  

  • Buildings between 28m and 45m in height require a resource consent, and the building design is subject to controls, but the Council cannot decline it if the building meets specific design requirements.  

  • For buildings over 45m in height, resource consent is required and, again, the building is subject to design matters, but the Council can decline resource consent.     

It also decided to accept the IHP recommendations on other provisions required to be updated due to changes to the City Centre Zone: subdivision rules, earthwork rules, transport rules, noise rules, light spill rules and light spill standard by zone table, and sign rules.    

The Council decided to accept the IHP recommendations on the following qualifying matters relevant to the City Centre Zone:   

  • Avon River Precinct (Te Papa Ōtākaro) Zone and Open Space Community Parks   

  • Waterbody setbacks (all provisions)   

  • Heritage items and settings (mapping only)   

  • Significant trees (all provisions) as they relate to the City Centre Zone.   

The Council decided to accept the IHP recommendations on some Heritage items and settings:   

  • To change the location of the listing for the Citizens’ War Memorial within Cathedral Square   

  • To remove the following heritage items and settings from protection in the District Plan:   

  • 471 Ferry Road   

  • 137 Cambridge Terrace – Harley Chambers 

  • 40 Norwich Quay (demolished)   

  • 136 Barbadoes Street – Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament (demolished)   

  • 32 Armagh Street – Blue Cottage   

  • 65 Riccarton Road – St James’ Church.