By Jennifer Eder, Local Democracy Reporter
Empty Wairau Hospital land was sold by the district health board of the time in Blenheim. Photo: Marlborough Express
A resource consent for 94 new homes to be built on Hospital Rd in Blenheim has been fast-tracked by an independent panel.
The six hectare stretch of grass and trees behind Hospice Marlborough, including an empty building at 46 Hospital Rd, was put up for sale by the former Nelson Marlborough District Health Board in 2019.
It was later bought by Te Tūapapa Kura Kāinga Ministry of Housing and Urban Development (MHUD) for $4 million.
MHUD's head of land acquisition and development Matt Fraser said at the time the property would be developed for housing with Wairau iwi partners.
The decision to fast-track the consent, under the Covid-19 Recovery (Fast-track Consenting) Act 2020, was released on Friday.
That decision outlined the application by Hāpai Development Property Limited Partnership, a group comprised of eight Te Tauihu iwi, led by Te Rūnanga a Rangitāne o Wairau.
The site had two separate titles, and there was a memorandum of understanding with the MHUD and applicant to purchase the land and develop it in a way that was consistent with state housing purposes, the decision said.
The consent was for a medium-density "mixed tenure" development that was "well-designed" with a range of lot sizes for both standalone and duplex dwellings.
The land on Hospital Rd has been considered surplus since 2001. Photo: Marlborough Express
A communal reserve would be built in the centre, with homes built around it.
"There were very few issues in contention for the application due to the nature and design of the development," the decision said.
"Throughout the course of this application process, the applicant and the Marlborough District Council reached agreement on all outstanding issues for the application."
This was said to be helpful for the Wairau Housing Development Expert Consenting Panel made up of chairperson Bridget Bailey, and two members, Kuru Ketu and Antoinette Besier.
In order for construction to start, 380 trees would need to be cut down. The decision said an on-site approach to tree removal meant that there were no traffic issues that would normally be associated with the removal of logs.
The felled trees would be "repurposed", either for landscaping material, biofuel or community firewood.
The building at 46 Hospital Rd would be demolished.
The decision said from the panel's view, the key issue from the application was the potential effects of increased housing density.
"This includes the landscape and visual effects and the effects on residential amenity," the decision said.
"We consider that the development is well-designed and that careful thought has been given to minimising the impact on the existing residential area through the configuration of the varying size lots layout of roads, allocation of space for recreation and landscaping."
Concept design of the Hospital Rd development. Photo: SUPPLIED
Under the proposal, 18 of the homes met or exceeded the 400m² lot size allowed in the Proposed Marlborough Environment Plan.
However, the decision said the design ensured the more intensive development was located away from existing residential areas.
"The development adjoining existing residential areas will be consistent with a level of development consistent with the PMEP ... or at a level that will not, in our view, generate unacceptable adverse effects, subject to appropriate conditions.
"We also consider from our inspection of the site and its surrounding area, that the site is capable of absorbing the level of residential development proposed.
"Apart from the adjacent hospital, the area is dominated by residential activity, contained in single lots and largely single-storey units.
"While there will be an increased density of development to what could occur under the PMEP overall, we consider that the potential effect of the smaller lots on residential amenity can be appropriately mitigated by the design of the development."
The Hospital Rd block had been considered surplus since 2001, but the sale had languished in the statutory process. The health minister approved the sale in May 2020.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ on Air.