Plan Change 50 opposition melts

Peace appears to be breaking out on Plan Change 50.

Obstacles to the Queenstown Lakes District Council's plan change, which proposes an extension of the Queenstown town centre zone, appear to be fading away.

Last-minute discussions on the eve of an Environment Court hearing, which began yesterday, resulted in the council reaching settlements with three of four parties that lodged appeals with the court over PC50.

As a result, a hearing that was set to run for 10 days is now expected to finish today.

Council legal counsel Janette Campbell told Judge Jon Jackson it had reached agreements with Brecon Street Partnership Ltd and Remarkables Jet Ltd on a range of issues including building height rules and traffic generation.

It had also agreed with two other parties, Well Smart Investment Holding Ltd and Man Street Properties Ltd, to rezone the Town Centre Transitional Zone (TCTZ) - part of a block bordered by Man and Hay Sts - as Queenstown Town Centre Zone.

However, the parties remained in dispute over whether PC50 was the appropriate process for enabling the rezoning, Ms Campbell said.

Graham Todd, counsel for Well Smart and Man Street, appealed to the court last year seeking to have their land excluded from the TCTZ, or alternatively, setting aside PC50 entirely.

In December, Judge Jackson found those appeals were not within the court's jurisdiction.

That decision was appealed to the High Court, which has yet to set a date to hear the matter.

Mr Todd told Judge Jackson yesterday his clients had agreed to withdraw their opposition to PC50.

However, the council wanted to leave references to the TCTZ in the plan change that would restrict his clients to a four-metre building height while landowners in the adjoining block could build up to 12 metres.

Judge Jackson also heard submissions from counsel for a fourth appellant, Crowne Plaza owners IHG Queenstown and Carter Queenstown.

The submissions related to building height controls proposed by PC50 that would effect the potential development of four residential sites behind the hotel.

The hearing continues this morning, with Judge Jackson wanting to hear from urban design witnesses for the various parties about how ‘‘appropriate'' PC50 building height limits are for Queenstown Bay.

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