TO: Future Development Strategy Joint Steering Group
MEETING DATE: 13 May 2024
TITLE: Summary of Submissions - Draft Palmerston North Future Development Strategy 2024
Presented By: Keegan Aplin-Thane, Senior Planner and Rebecca Bell, Consultant, RFB Consulting
APPROVED BY: David Murphy, Chief Planning Officer
RECOMMENDATION TO Future Development Strategy Joint Steering Group
1. That the Future Development Joint Steering Group receive the summary of submissions on the Draft Palmerston North Future Development Strategy 2024.
1. ISSUE
1.1 Palmerston North City Council and Horizons Regional Council have jointly drafted a Future Development Strategy for Palmerston North according to the requirements of the National Policy Statement on Urban Development 2020.
1.2 This memorandum summarises the formal submissions and informal feedback received during consultation. Informal feedback was received at a range of in-person engagement sessions and via social media.
2. BACKGROUND
2.1 A draft Future Development Strategy (draft Strategy) has been prepared and consulted on from 26 of March to 5 May 2024, in time to inform the 2024-34 Long Term Plan.
2.2 The draft Strategy sets out where housing, business and industrial growth will occur over the next 30 years along with the development and additional infrastructure required to support that growth.
2.3 The draft Strategy is largely consistent with Council’s existing growth plan for Palmerston North, setting out at a high level where and when growth will occur
2.4 The draft Strategy explores the advantages and disadvantages of four approaches to providing for growth for Palmerston North:
· Growing Up: Providing for growth in our existing urban environments through infill and intensification of housing, business, and industry.
· Growing In: Repurposing underutilised brownfield commercial, industrial, institutional and reserve land.
· Growing Out: Providing for growth via greenfield areas at the edges of the city.
· Village Growth: Greenfield and infill growth in our rural villages; Ashhurst, Bunnythorpe, Longburn and Linton.
2.5 The preferred growth option set out in the draft Strategy and the Statement of Proposal is a balanced approach.
2.6 The balanced approach to growth incorporates all four options in a way that will provide for expected market demand across a range of types and locations for housing, business, and industrial use. Council can enable intensification options while still enabling greenfield growth to meet market demand. The balanced approach also takes into account the varied constraints that occur within our existing urban environment.
3. Consultation process
3.1 The consultation period opened on 26 March 2024 and closed at 4pm on 5 May 2024. The consultation consisted of:
· A public notice published 28 March 2024
· A Statement of Proposal and the draft Palmerston North Future Development Strategy available at Palmerston North libraries, the Palmerston North City Council customer service centre and online
· A website information package and online submission form with questions and open text boxes on www.pncc.govt.nz/fds and www.haveyoursay.horizons.govt.nz/Palmerston-north-future-development-strategy. This website information was viewed by 2285 people.
· Drop-in sessions:
|
Date and time |
Session title/audience |
Attendance |
|
19, 22, and 25 October 2023 |
Three drop-in sessions at the Bunnythorpe Community Centre for landowners directly affected by Te Utanganui |
50 people per session |
|
13 and 16 December 2023 |
Public drop-in sessions at the Bunnythorpe Community Centre specifically related to Te Utanganui |
50 people per session |
|
4 April |
Build Palmy Forum |
60 people |
|
Bunnythorpe stakeholder session |
70 people |
|
|
9 April |
Community-led Bunnythorpe public meeting |
30 people |
|
Development sector meeting |
30 people |
|
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Every Wednesday throughout the consultation period from the 10th April – 1st May |
General public drop-in session |
10 April – 6 people 17 April – 2 people 24 April – 6 people 1 May – 8 people |
|
16 April |
Community sector |
40 people |
|
17 April |
Business sector |
80 people |
|
20 April |
Planning Palmy Expo |
800-1000 people |
|
22 April |
Ashhurst drop-in session |
8 people |
· Radio ads were run for two weeks of the consultation period on the Mediaworks family of stations
· Two newspaper ads posted in The Guardian
· Ads on the Isite digital billboard for the duration submission period
· Banner ads on Oneroof.co.nz
· Five social media posts across both Council Facebook pages (28 March, 18 April, and 2 May) with an average reach of 4663 users per post
· Content included in a flyer mailed to residents as part of the Palmerston North City Council’s draft Long Term Plan
· Direct contact with identified stakeholders in the Te Utanganui area, Kākātangiata area, development sector, and central government agencies
4. submissions RECEIVED
4.1 138 submissions were received during the 6-week consultation period.
4.2 Of those submissions:
· 92 were submitted via the online form
· 13 were written submissions
· 33 were submitted via email
5. Submission themes
5.1 Sentiment from submissions had generally similar levels of support or opposition for the extent of growing in, out, and up identified in our balanced growth approach. See below for a summary of sentiment for each growth extent:
|
Growth extent |
Submissions in support |
Submissions in oppostion |
Undecided submissions |
|
Growing In |
43 |
37 |
17 |
|
Growing Up |
40 |
44 |
9 |
|
Growing Out |
52 |
34 |
8 |
5.2 Section 6 of the summary of submissions report attached has a detailed summary of sentiment and unique submission points in favour of or concern with each of the growth areas.
5.3 Key issues raised in submissions include:
· Access to public and private open space
· Capacity constraints with existing network infrastructure
· Privacy, sunlight, and character effects
· Preservation of highly productive land
· Transport efficiency
· Natural hazard risk
· Housing choice
5.4 The masterplan for Te Utanganui Central New Zealand Distribution Hub has also been consulted on by incorporation into the Future Development Strategy. Sentiment from submissions indicate 37 submitters supportive of the masterplan and 14 opposed to it.
5.5 Submitters that were not affected landowners or Bunnythorpe residents tended to support Te Utanganui whilst also expressing concern about the impact that it would have on Bunnythorpe.
5.6 Sentiment from affected landowners varied depending on their personal circumstances but in general were concerned about the uncertainty of areas scheduled for latter periods in the Future Development Strategy. Retention of highly productive land in the north and concerns about the impact of the Regional Freight Ring Road featured highly among submitters residents in and around Bunnythorpe.
5.7 84 unique submission points were raised that relate to the Palmerston North City Council Long Term Plan and 16 for the Horizons Regional Council Long-Term Plan. These have been summarised in Appendix 1, section 8 for referral to the Long-Term Plans. The majority of these relate to transport and funding matters.
6. Requests for changes to growth areas Identified
6.1 The following specific changes to our preferred growth extent have been requested:
· Requests for changes to our growing out extent:
o 160 Napier Road - housing
o Include 813 and 815 Roberts Line, 109 and 125 Kairanga Bunnythorpe Road, 129 Richardsons Line, and land bounded by Kairanga Bunnythorpe Road and Roberts Line West to the Te Utanganui Masterplan
o Remove Areas C, D, and E from the Te Utanganui Masterplan
o Remove additional housing at Bunnythorpe from the Te Utanganui Masterplan
o Kākātangiata – increase the proportion of industrial
o Remove the Ashhurst growth areas
o Consider growth between Linton and Forest Hill Road
· Requests for changes to our growing in extent:
o Invest in Railway Land as a public space or repurpose for housing
o Repurpose Coronation Park and the Awapuni library site for housing
o Remove Albert Street Depot from being repurposed
o Reduce the size of some reserves to provide for housing (e.g. Campbell Reserve and reserves in Milson)
o Repurpose the airport for housing by amalgamating it with Ohakea Airbase
o Repurposing portions of the Core Airport Precinct for business land
o Repurpose large carparking areas in our industrial zone for housing
· Requests for changes our growing up extent:
o Confine medium density to the city centre or greenfield growth areas
o Consider Iwi land for housing
o Remove Kelvin Grove and Milson
7. informal feedback RECEIVED
7.1 The social media posts for the Strategy attracted 176 comments.
7.2 Most of these comments related to Long-Term Plan matters of transport and rates. Comments related to the Future Development Strategy included some mixed support for medium density and concerns raised about natural hazard risk.
7.3 Anecdotal comments raised in drop-in sessions or sector sessions largely mirrored points raised in submissions. The Planning Palmy Expo attracted a number of comments in support for medium density subject to urban design controls.
8. Hearings
8.1 Of the 138 submissions received, 30 submitters wish to be heard. Please see the hearings schedule separately attached for the list of these submitters.
9. next steps
9.1 The Joint Steering Group will deliberate on all the submissions on 20 May 2024. Any recommendations from the Joint Steering Group will be incorporated into the draft strategy for adoption by both councils.
10. Compliance and administration
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Does the Working Group have delegated authority to decide? By resolution of both councils |
Yes |
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Are the decisions significant? |
No |
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If they are significant do they affect land or a body of water? |
No |
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Can this decision only be made through a 10 Year Plan? |
No |
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Does this decision require consultation through the Special Consultative procedure? |
No |
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Is there funding in the current Annual Plan for these actions? |
No |
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Are the recommendations inconsistent with any of Council’s policies or plans? |
No |
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The recommendations contribute to Goal 1: An Innovative and Growing City |
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The recommendations contribute to the achievement of action/actions in City Growth
The action is: Develop a Future Development Strategy
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Contribution to strategic direction and to social, economic, environmental and cultural well-being |
The Strategy will guide how our communities live, work and play in the city through the development of a variety of housing and business environments. |
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1. |
Summary
of Submissions for the Draft Palmerston North Future Development Strategy
2024 ⇩ |
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