More Ideas for Making a Submission to Plan Change 78
Spokesperson McRae
We support the continuation of the Special Character Overlay in Plan Change 78, but we believe the SCA overlay for Devonport must be retained in its entirety in order to protect Devonport’s historic integrity, harmony of scale and visual coherence.
WE SUGGEST AMENDMENTS FOR THE REASONS THAT:
1. The proposed changes to the SCA in Devonport are in conflict with the policies and objectives of the Section 32 report.
2. Mixed Housing Urban zones being applied to pockets of Devonport are in direct conflict with the intentions of the SCA as outlined in the Auckland Unitary Plan.
Height:
The increased building coverage will mean three storey developments filling up to 50% of sites. Yet the two storey nature of SCA’s is an integral and consistent feature of the built environment. As the PC 89 Section 32 report states on page 14:
The consistency in height is an important, tangible characteristic of the overlay; it illustrates the physical attributes of the areas and original development patterns.
Density
The increased density that the MHU allows will also conflict with the SCA’s more open, single house settlement pattern often accompanied by mature vegetation.
Section 32 Report page 14 states –
‘Density is also key to the specific characteristics of residential areas in the overlay. SCA residential areas exhibit a predominantly single house settlement pattern…and has resulted in a level of consistency in patterns of subdivision, lot sizes, lot widths, house setbacks and spacing between houses.’
Vegetation
Increased building coverage will inevitably mean the loss of mature vegetation that characterises the Devonport SCA and enable the new buildings to be more prominent.
Section 32 Report Page 19 states -
‘Increased building coverage is likely to impact trees and vegetation within SCA residential areas. Enabling this level of development will result in considerable change to SCA residential areas. Such development would be visible dominant and not maintain and enhance the values of the area.’
The absence of urban design requirements in the MHU zone will mean new buildings will not have to respond sympathetically to the heritage nature of the surrounding environment and therefore have a detrimental impact on the area’s character.
The proposed pockets of MHU for Devonport will have a hugely detrimental impact on the heritage values because they will interrupt the low scale height and density of the area. They will enable modern developments that will be out of keeping with the neighbouring heritage houses and therefore diminish the collecting weight of the heritage landscape.
(Add the street numbers that we want removed from MHU zone eg. Oxford Tce, Empire Rd, Derby St, King Edward Pd/Church St etc).
4. The loss of the SCA in Devonport and reversion to the Low Density Housing zone will enable development closer to the boundaries, greater bulk and less restrictive height to boundary rules. It will also mean loss of vegetation which contributes to the values of the SCA.
This will adversely impact on the ability to protect the low-scale, open streetscape of Devonport streets and diminish the heritage value of the area.
5. Policy 3d: This should be removed from residential area around the Devonport Town Centre as it conflicts with the Volcanic Cone viewshaft overlay, the Height sensitive overlay, the Special Character overlay and the Low Density Residential zone.
The collective weight of these overlays plus the underlying zone means five storey THAB development would be impossible. Therefore the policy 3d should not apply.
6. Devonport’s Victoria Road business area should be an Historic Heritage Area.
Victoria Road is one of the most intact streets of Victorian and Edwardian buildings in Auckland and together with Windsor Reserve is a regionally significant historic area.
An HHA classification would raise its status and bring it in line with other Historic Heritage Areas in Auckland like Karangahape Road, Upland Road and Mt Eden Road.
TIPS: We recommend:
Choose ‘Other Ways to Make a Submission’ on the website. Download the form. This will enable you to take your time to write your submission. You can also write much more in a word document and attach it to the email when you send in the submission.
Read our Guide to Making a submission.