Subdivision would provide 134 lots

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33093, 7 December 1972, Page 19

Subdivision would provide 134 lots

Plans for a 134-section housing subdivision on 27 acres of land at Lake Terrace Road, adjoining the Shirley golf links, were put to a Waimairi County Council townplanning hearing yesterday.

Tha council’s town-plan-ning officer (Mr R. M. Parker) said the land was zoned rural in the operative scheme, but residential A in the reviewed scheme. There were no objections. For the applicants, Mr C. C. H. Knight said the land was lying fallow and it would be in the public interest to develop it as an amenity. Urgency was a factor in financial considerations. Mr W. J. Butterfield, a builder, and managing director of J. and W. Butterfield, Ltd, a principal of Westhaven Estates, Ltd, said that as a result of discussions between himself, MerrittBeazley Homes, Ltd, and Mr A. R. Corcoran, it was decided that the property had excellent possibilities for development. The intention was to upgrade the residential standard of the district with development of aboveaverage homes and larger than average sections. The section prices were estimated at between $5500 and $BOOO, with the homes costing not less than $12,000. The land had been bought in May and delay in development would be critical, because of the shortage of accessible land for development, and the scheme would

considerably enhance the value of adjoining properties. It was proposed to release groups of sections at intervals. A consulting engineer, Mr P. Yeoman, said that in broad terms, 1200 new

sections were created each year in Christchurch. He suggested that only 1150 acres of land was available for residential use. This, normally, would last until the end of 1976, but the current demand for sections was such that the period might be shorter. Where 40 to 50-lot subdivisions once took 12 to 18 months to sell, today sections were sold off scheme plans, before development. He quoted six subdivisions of between 17 and 98 sections, being sold off before title could be given, or within a month of going on the market — a total of 313 sections. Mr Yeoman said that it cost between $6OOO and $BOOO an acre to develop residential land. If the land had to be bought, the outlay could be doubled, a form of investment not attractive to the normal low-interest lending houses. Criticising the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority for its policy to restrict the zoning of more residential land, Mr Yeoman said that at least 1500 acres should be zoned and available for subdivision before the 1977 planning review took place. “The position is getting worse instead of better, as instanced by the recent sale in your county of seven acres for $102,000,” he said. Warehouses Plans for the construction of three warehouses, of a total area of 13,500 square

feet, were put by Redwood Holdings, Ltd, which sought permission for the development at 576 Wairakei Road. Mr W. P. Baldwin, an engineer employed by H. P. Holt, Ltd, a company associated with Redwood Holdings, said one lot would be leased to the Roydvale Timber and Joinery, Ltd, for the assembly of office furniture, and for storage. A car hire firm, associated with airport business, would lease another lot and the third would be owned by Redwood Holdings and leased for general storage. Mr Baldwin said there was a possibility that the whole block would be bought by D.M.S., Ltd. The hearings, on which decisions were reserved, were heard by Crs I. Calvert (chairman), F. S. Blogg, I. G. Clark and C. R. Harman.