Wellington’s District Plan Shapes Up Well

01.06.06

A Wellington City Council report on the capital’s district plan shows the plan is doing a good job in shaping the city we want, containing development and preventing urban sprawl.

The report, called Shaping Up, is the result of a comprehensive two-year study into the effectiveness of the plan's built environment rules, including urban growth and development, urban design, the quality and character of neighbourhoods, heritage protection, noise and mixed use.

Among the key findings of the report are that:

• Wellington is a well-managed city with a high quality built environment.
• The district plan's policies of promoting a contained city and population growth in existing urban areas are working effectively.
• The plan's approach to protecting the character of areas, enhancing urban design in the central city and suburban centres, and promoting mixed-use development is appropriate.

The Council's Urban Design Portfolio Leader, Councillor Andy Foster, says the report shows the district plan is generally working well, though it also highlights issues that could be better addressed such as inner city noise, effects of infill housing and preservation of heritage buildings. "Wellington City has grown faster even than Kapiti over the last census period in percentage terms. However, with population growth come challenges. Most of our growth is occurring in the central city and the inner suburbs like Thorndon, Te Aro, Lambton, Mt Victoria and Mt Cook. We already have special rules to protect character areas like Thorndon, Mt Victoria and Aro Valley, and have promulgated new rules for Newtown, Mt Cook and Berhampore.

"We've also recognised the need for stronger rules to protect heritage buildings from unsympathetic development, and to update design guidelines particularly for new buildings in the central city. We're aware that infill development in outer residential areas is of variable quality, and we're reviewing the management of such development. Improving the rules is very much about achieving better quality results, while avoiding some of the adverse impacts we currently see."

Cr Foster says the Council is already acting on the issues raised in the report. "A review of the Central Area is underway. The Council has notified a plan change to strengthen protection of heritage buildings and objects, with submissions closing on 3 July. We have also notified a plan change to the Newtown Suburban Centre Character Area to extend the area and encompass a wider variety of designs."

Shaping Up is open to public feedback until Monday, 31 July. It can be viewed, along with the district plan, online.

District Plan - Introduction

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