Peter Dymock, of Paterson Pitts Ltd Partnership, was presenting evidence on Friday on behalf of Pat Cummings, a director of SH6 at Cromwell Ltd, at the hearing in Alexandra.
SH6 at Cromwell has sought a private plan change to rezone 5.8ha of land, on the corner of McNulty Rd and State Highway 6, from rural resource area to industrial resource area. The land would then be subdivided into 18 lots.
Mr Dymock said Mr Cummings, of Dunedin, had been the developer of much of the McNulty Rd industrial and commercial precinct.
"Mr Cummings therefore has a proven track record as a successful and responsible developer, well attuned to the market," Mr Dymock said.
Mr Dymock said there was already strong interest in sites in the development, and there was demand for large sites with easy access to SH6.
There was a limited amount of undeveloped, industrially zoned land in Cromwell, and it was important to provide more land to cater for future growth.
The site’s rural zoning existed only because of the former sale yards, which used to be on the outskirts of Cromwell, on its rural fringe, Mr Dymock said.
But the town had now expanded out to the sale yards, with industrial growth to the south of McNulty Rd and residential growth to the north.
CODC planning consultant David Whitney has recommended the request for the plan change be approved, with a modification requiring landscaping along SH6 as part of the initial subdivision.
The hearings panel reserved its decision.
