The draft City Plan for Christchurch

12 August 2011

The draft City Plan has major consequences for commercial and retail property owners, developers and businesses.

Duncan Cotterill is urging Christchurch CBD stakeholders to make submissions on the draft Plan as this will be the only opportunity to do so.

A major occupier in the central city, Duncan Cotterill is now located in north-west Christchurch but is keen to return to the CBD and has a strong interest in what is being proposed.

Juliette Derry, an environmental law partner at Duncan Cotterill with extensive experience in Sydney working specifically on property, projects and infrastructure, said the changes mooted by the Plan would need to be carefully considered by commercial and retail property owners and businesses.

“One of the key features of the draft Plan is that it is more prescriptive than the current Plan in terms of the location of activities, including commercial and retail activities. This may pose a problem for property and business owners and tenants located outside of the “premier” commercial and retail centres.

“The detailed regulation of the design of the built environment is also likely to be significant for property owners and developers because of the restrictions on building form and potential costs implications of achieving the design standards now required,” Derry said.

“The public has the opportunity to comment on the draft Plan and influence changes being made before the Plan is provided for government approval. Involvement in the draft Plan public consultation process is important for everyone who has an interest in the Plan’s contents as there will not be another opportunity.”

Key changes to the central city include:

Significant reduction in the size of the central business district providing for a compact high density-business and retail district.
Provision for a core retail area to be re-established in the central city.
New urban design rules which are aimed at ensuring buildings achieve a high quality of urban design and amenity.
New transport provisions, including replacing minimum parking requirements with maximum parking requirements.
A core of slow-speed streets within the CBD, with streets designed to support their use as public spaces.

The Plan makes changes to the existing policy around commercial centres which are intended to support the central city’s growth as the region’s premier commercial centre. It proposes to amend policies and objectives which prioritise the development of the central city commercial centre over commercial centres outside of the central business district. Financial and non-financial incentives are to be provided to commercial property developers and business tenants to relocate and rebuild in the central city. They include including employee grants, development contribution rebates and a streamlined consenting process. Additionally the draft Plan provides for the greatest density and scale of building development to occur within the central city.

The draft Plan also seeks to establish a premier retail centre in the central city with a primary “core” retail area based around the traditional Cashel Mall and High St triangles and a secondary “core” north of Cathedral Square.

If you are a stakeholder in the city, you need to make a submission on Christchurch’s future. Please contact us to work through the implications for you.

For further information:

Juliette Derry, 03 379 2430, 021 224 1003, j.derry@DuncanCotterill.com

Location http://www.duncancotterill.com/index.cfm/1,159,698,0,html