The Ilam and Upper Riccarton Residents’ Association will make a presentation to the city council on its concerns over a non-notified boarding house being approved in a low-density zone.
It will present to the city council next month and be supported by Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton deputy chairwoman Helen Broughton and board member Catherine Chu.
Up until now, boarding houses have only been approved for medium-density housing areas – which predominantly have multi-unit residential housing.
But the city council approved a six-bedroom dwelling on Lynfield Ave to be converted into a nine-bedroom boarding house earlier this year.
City council head of resource consents John Higgins confirmed under the new city district plan’s provisions, it is the first boarding house approved in a suburban density area.
In 2016, the residents’ association successfully lobbied for the city council replacement district plan to have a definition of what a boarding house is.
This meant a resource consent is required before a boarding house can be established.
Neighbours previously raised concerns over the boarding house being non-notified.
It comes as the residents’ association is pushing for the city’s District Plan to stop boarding houses appearing unexpectedly in residential streets.
Chairman John Reddiford said boarding houses “change the nature of the area.”
“You have the United Kingdom, if they do this there are basically very high standards they have got to have. Here I don’t think the standards are high.
“The amount of cars on the road increase and the number of established residents are not happy the area has changed,” he said.
Mrs Broughton said she was concerned because over time it will “erode the quality of residential development.”
“If you allow one in suburban density, in six months time if someone else comes along and wants to do the same then they can actually say well if you let this first one through therefore we should all be let through,” she said.
Board member Catherine Chu said it was not acceptable and has set a precedent for other boarding houses.
“What I don’t understand to be honest is why it is being done in a non-notifiable basis without letting the residents know,” she said.
Mr Higgins said boarding houses are not permitted in any main residential zones and need a resource consent to be established.
