Update on Purewa Rd Housing NZ Development

23 May 2018

News on the application by Housing New Zealand for resource consent to construct 11 dwellings, comprised of nine apartments within three three-storey buildings, and two units as a double storey duplex complex at 9-11 Purewa Road, opposite Meadowbank Train Station.

The decision by Auckland Council is to grant consent without public notification, on the basis that “the activity will not have and is not likely to have adverse effects on the environment that are more than minor.”

The statement notes that the proposal “will provide housing of an intensity, scale, location, form and appearance that will be compatible with that anticipated in the Residential Mixed Housing Urban (MHU) Zone, while accepting it will result in a change to the existing neighbourhood character”. The general site layout is considered to be “an appropriate design response with the buildings providing a strong street presence and enhanced passive surveillance towards the train station”. The architecture and materiality of the proposal are assessed as being of “appropriate quality and will reflect the residential nature of the site and surrounding sites.” Landscaping treatment is also considered to be appropriate in softening and mitigating the buildings and any effects on privacy to surrounding residents”. In other comments, it is noted that parking can be accommodated on site without compromising the function, capacity or safety of the road network, ensuring traffic and pedestrian safety is maintained.

In summary, the decision finds no special circumstances that warrant the application being publicly notified as there is nothing exceptional or unusual about the application to require public notification.

We are grateful to Grant Dickson in obtaining this clarification from Auckland Council after a prolonged correspondence.

The images show the street view of the original pair of state houses, the initial proposal from HNZ, and the proposal which has been approved.

At every possible opportunity, we have objected not to the scale of the development per se, but to certain aspects of the building and site design. We’re disappointed with the outcome and the process that HNZ has followed, which on the face of it contrasts with the approaches taken by other developers in our suburbs.

Naturally, we may well consider this sets a precedent for HNZ developments in the MHU zones in our suburbs. You can read more background on the progress of this development here.