Hon Poto Williams, the Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration (the Minister) announced on 18 December 2019 that she has approved Christchurch City Council’s Lyttelton Commercial Zone Parking section 71 Proposal (the Proposal) to amend the Christchurch District Plan.
The approval was made under sections 69 and 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 (GCR Act).
The approval was gazetted on 18 December 2019.
The Proposal amends the Christchurch District Plan by removing the minimum number of on-site (off street) car parking spaces required by new developments in the Lyttelton Commercial Zone (referred to as the Lyttelton Commercial Banks Peninsula Zone in the Christchurch District Plan).
Although on-site parking is not required for the first two residential units on the same site, it is required for the third and subsequent units.
The amendment provides greater certainty to developers in Lyttelton and contributes to the regeneration and redevelopment of Lyttelton town centre.
The decision was publicly notified in The Press on Thursday, 19 December 2019.
The full name of the Proposal is:
“Removal of Minimum Car Parking Spaces Provision for the Lyttelton Commercial Banks Peninsula Zone: Proposal to exercise power under section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016
Proposal to amend Chapter 7 – Transport of the Christchurch District Plan to provide an exemption to the minimum car parking spaces requirements from Lyttelton Commercial Zone.”
On this page:
Decision to approve the Proposal
In making her decision, the Minister took into account the Proposal, the 20 written comments received during the written comment period, and the requirements of the GCR Act.
Of the 20 written comments received, 15 supported, four opposed, and one neither supported nor opposed the Proposal.
- The majority of the written comments supporting the Proposal referred to:
- the parking requirement inhibiting progress and not being appropriate due to the hilly nature and limited space available
- Lyttelton needing to replace the town lost in the earthquakes
- Written comments not supporting the Proposal were concerned:
- about difficulty in finding parking at peak times
- removal of on-site parking creating a more intense feel and overloading streets, affecting visitors and people with physical impairments
and felt: - the amendment should apply only to small sites
- developers should be required to provide parking
Alternative legislative processes
Other processes were considered. However, no other process, would enable the Christchurch District Plan to be amended and therefore the parking issue resolved, with the same efficiency, timeliness and certainty.
For more information about the Minister’s decision:
The amendment to the Christchurch District Plan comes into effect on 18 December 2019.
The written comment stage
The Minister publicly notified the Proposal in the Gazette on Tuesday 15 October 2019 and The Press on Wednesday 16 October 2019, and invited people to give their views in writing on the Proposal.
Anyone could make a written comment, which had to be received by 5pm, Thursday 14 November 2019.
All written comments received were considered and helped the Minister decide whether to approve the Proposal.
Overview of the Proposal
(please refer to the Proposal for more detail)
Lyttelton was badly affected by the Canterbury Earthquakes. There were few, if any, vacant sites in the Lyttelton town centre prior to the February 2011 Earthquake. However, about 23 percent of that land (around 8,768m2) is now vacant and yet to be redeveloped.
Currently, the Christchurch District Plan rule requires on-site parking is provided in the Lyttelton Commercial Zone. However, it doesn’t take into account Lyttelton’s unusual geography, and the size and dimension of sites.
Consequently, prospective developers in Lyttelton are generally unable to meet these on-site requirements.
The Proposal, prepared by Christchurch City Council (the Council), put forward using section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016 to remove the minimum number of on-site (off-street) car parking spaces required for new development in the Lyttelton Commercial Zone from the Christchurch District Plan. The Lyttelton Commercial Zone is the area generally bounded by or adjacent to London Street, Norwich Quay, Oxford Street and Canterbury Street shown pink on the map.
The amendment does not affect other urban design requirements relating to Lyttelton, which are still likely to require developers to apply for resource consent.
Also, it is not intended to prevent developers from providing on-site parking.
Residential developments
On-site parking would not be required for the first two residential units on the same site but would be required for the third and subsequent units.
The Minister received the Proposal from the Council together with supporting documents.
- The Proposal including the concise statement of views from the strategic partners, Regenerate Christchurch and the Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Letter to the Minister from Regenerate Christchurch on the finalised Proposal
The process
In developing the Proposal, the Council asked the strategic partners (Environment Canterbury, Ngāi Tahu, Selwyn and Waimakariri District Councils), Regenerate Christchurch and the Chief Executive of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet for feedback on a draft of the Proposal, as part of the process required by the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act 2016.
The Council also asked for feedback from the NZ Transport Agency due to the Lyttelton Commercial Zone adjoining Norwich Quay, which is a State Highway.
The Council considered the feedback (see the concise statement of views included with the Proposal) and addressed issues raised in finalising the Proposal, which has been supported by Regenerate Christchurch.
The Council considered a number of alternatives to using the section 71 process and states in the Proposal that none was able to achieve a resolution to the issue with the same efficiency, timeliness and certainty.
The Minister publicly notified the Proposal in the Gazette on Tuesday 15 October 2019 and The Press on Wednesday 16 October 2019, and invited people to give their views in writing on the Proposal.
Anyone could make a written comment, which had to be received by 5pm, Thursday 14 November 2019.
All the written comments received were considered by the Minister in making her decision to approve the Proposal.
On 18 December 2019, the Minister announced she had approved the Proposal.