In spite of the recent growth in retirement villages across Selwyn, developers of the project say it will fill a gap in the market.
West Melton Holdings has applied to the Selwyn District Council to rezone 12.5ha on West Coast Rd, State Highway 73, bordering the existing Preston Downs subdivision.
Some of the land is class 2 and 3 agricultural soils. Legislation protecting valuable soils was introduced by Government last week.
The district council will consider whether to accept and notify the West Melton Holdings application, categorised as Plan Change 77, at an upcoming meeting.
West Melton Holdings has two directors, Levin Da Costa, of Hamilton-based Ultimate Global Group, which is involved in real estate development, tourism and hospitality in New Zealand and overseas, and Rolleston-based civil construction manager, Sam Paterson. Paterson referred comment to Da Costa.
“We are currently in the planning stages to develop six villages throughout New Zealand under our Harlow brand, which is part of the Ultimate Global Group,” Cloughley said.
The group had developed neighbourhoods in the North and South Islands over the last 16 years, with its most recent development being the Awatea Park subdivision in Christchurch.
“We are looking to develop a retirement community on our West Melton site as we see that there will be increasing demand from retirees looking for the benefits that living in a lifestyle neighbourhood can give. Our village will look to provide various ownership options in addition to the traditional retirement village structures,” he said.
The project would be good for the region economically, providing the one-off stimulus of development and construction, as well as ongoing employment onsite.
West Melton Holdings consultant Fiona Aston said, in the planning application before the district council, assessments had identified a gap in the market and there was a growing demand for such facilities in Selwyn.
The PC77 area included class 2 and 3 soils, which were expected to be protected by the National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land, which was in draft form at the time of writing the planning application.
However, given the land was already comprised of small rural lots with gardens and buildings, it currently had no “realistic productive potential,” Aston said.
The NPS-HPL has now been finalised and comes into affect on October 17.
Aston said vehicles would access and leave the West Melton retirement village via Shepherd Pl, which would also provide an alternative high amenity route to the township centre, domain, and community facilities.
The rezoning application comes as Ryman plans a $205 million retirement village including rest home, dementia and hospital facilities on 9.5ha on Goulds Rd at Rolleston, and developers Merf Ag Services and Matthew Reed plan a rest home and 50 independent retirement units for land on Kimberley Rd, Darfield.
The latter project was signalled by the developers in a plan change rezoning application, which was adopted by the district council and became operative in February.
If accepted by the district council for notification, PC77 will be open for submissions then go to a hearing before an independent Commissioner.
The PC77 area is outside of the new air noise contour zone at West Melton proposed by Christchurch International Airport.
