Work on the 1710-home Carter Group subdivision, Lincoln South, will get under way in September.
Stage one is expected to deliver 250 sections, space for Lincoln’s third primary school and a supermarket.
In the plan, land on Springs Rd has been allocated for the supermarket and a retail precinct.
“It has long been evident that a second supermarket is required in Lincoln,” Carter Group director Tim Carter told Selwyn Times.
In 2021, a resource consent for Countdown to develop a supermarket on Birchs Rd failed.
“The resource consent was declined, meaning an alternative supermarket location was needed in Lincoln.
"The Birchs Rd decision reinforced that it is unlikely a second supermarket would be approved unless it was part of a master planned development,” Carter said.
Carter would not say which supermarket chain would open in Lincoln South.
“We have been approached by supermarket operators and are currently in negotiations for our Lincoln development.
"We will be making a public announcement on this soon.”
A Woolworths spokesperson said it does not have any plans at this stage for a Lincoln supermarket. Foodstuffs – which operates New World in Lincoln, 2km from the planned Lincoln South – did not respond to Selwyn Times.
The details for the primary school are yet to be announced.
“Timelines will be determined by the rate of development, the capacity of existing schools to accommodate anticipated growth, as well as future prioritisation and budget processes,” said Ministry of Education south leader Nancy Bell.
Bell said Lincoln Primary, Ararira Springs and Lincoln High School are expected to experience growth in the short to medium term.
The subdivision has faced opposition from Lincoln residents, with advocacy group Lincoln Voice taking Carter Group to the Environment Court.
Lincoln Voice’s appeal failed when Selwyn District Council approved the rezoning as part of its District Plan changes signed off in August last year.
The approval through the District Plan made Lincoln Voice’s Environment Court appeal null and void, and it withdrew its appeal last month.
Carter was one of 200 people who spoke to district councillors about the 2024-34 draft Long Term Plan.
Lincoln Voice spokesperson Denise Carrick said it was a good public relations exercise.
“It was a PR exercise, and it sounds good doesn’t it, that they’re putting in a supermarket and primary school. But what people are still forgetting, and it was a running theme through the hearings, is that all the infrastructure is behind (schedule),” Carrick said.
She was concerned by the potential impact of traffic congestion and road safety.
Part of Carter’s submission to the district council included a request for Lincoln roading upgrades, needed for the subdivision, to be prioritised.
“It would be great from our perspective if the Lincoln upgrades occurred hand and glove with the development as it proceeded to make sure there is no congestion and no pinch points for the existing and future community,” Carter said.
As part of the draft LTP the council is planning to replace the roundabout at the intersection of Springs Rd and Gerald St with traffic lights in 2027.
Carter said the upgrade needs to be done as soon as possible.
“It is going to be a congestion point as the development proceeds and without the development proceeding it is going to be a congestion point.”
Councillors will deliberate any changes to the draft LTP this week, with the final version adopted next month.
