Fast track bid for up to 740 homes in Stoke
A massive subdivision in Stoke providing for up to 740 homes has been referred for fast-tracking by the Government.
The subdivision would cover about 58 hectares of land at 467 Suffolk Rd in Stoke, east of Saxton Field.
The applicant, Oakland Estates Nelson Limited, proposes to create 580 to 740 residential allotments, including the potential for a retirement village.
The area is currently rurally zoned, but was identified as an area for residential development in Nelson’s Future Development Strategy.
Plans include commercial areas with 6000m² to 7800m² of floorspace to service the development and surrounding area.
Half of the residential sections would be sized between 400m² and 600m², with some smaller sections for higher density areas, while the remaining sections were to be mostly between 600m² and 800m².
Minister for Infrastructure Chris Bishop decided to refer the project to the fast-track approvals process at the end of last month as he was satisfied it would have “significant regional benefits”.
The project would provide about $145 million in wages and salaries during its five to seven-year development period, and generate approximately $292 million in GDP, the minister’s decision said.
Nelson mayor Nick Smith said the proposed development was “hugely exciting”, and would be a welcome economic shot in the arm for the city.
“The city’s economy is struggling, and the sooner this development occurs, the better, and that is why I’m supportive of the fast-track,” he said.
The scale of the development was “huge” with about 650 homes. Research showed that the best way to keep house prices affordable and home ownership a realistic goal for young people was to increase supply, Smith said.
Oakland Estates Nelson Limited director Justin McDonald said the development would be an opportunity for the community to have a home that was close to amenities.
The lot sizes were catering to what the company believed was needed, he said, though because the development was large-scale, they had time to see what the market required.
The uncertainty around the retirement village depended on whether there was an operator around that saw the need for another one in Nelson, he said.
In terms of the timing of the development, McDonald said that was something the market dictated.
“I’m not going to go and put 100 sections out there, and we’ve only got ten buyers. If we’ve got ten buyers, we’ll build 20 lots,” he said.
“We don’t want to rush it. We want to make sure that it’s done properly and that … it serves the community well.”
Smith said council staff were working hard with the developer and government agencies to enable the development to proceed.
The council was also working with the developers to fully understand the infrastructure requirements to service the new development.
Smith acknowledged that the impacts on the wider transport network were a “challenge” , but the development provided the opportunity to connect Hill St with Suffolk Rd, and provide a third route between Richmond and Stoke.
The link was overdue, Smith said, and the Oakland development provided a catalyst to enable it to happen.
A workshop for councillors will be held on the Oakland Estates development and associated infrastructure.
Nelson City Council executive director strategy and planning K-J Dillon said Oakland Estates had two years to lodge a fast-track application for resource consent but had not yet applied.
Council staff would work with all parties in the consultative role laid out in the Fast Track Approvals Act process.
An application for a Private Plan Change was considered as an option for the development but was not being pursued.
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