Countdown supermarket owner plans major new subdivision for Christchurch

Tuesday, 5 February 2019

A supermarket chain is behind a plan to build a major Christchurch subdivision with 272 new homes, a supermarket, shopping area, parks, pre-school, eateries and a covered swimming pool.

Supermarket operators Progressive Enterprises, owners of Countdown, want to develop a 21-hectare site in Halswell through their Australian parent company Woolworths.

Amenities would include a supermarket, gym, doctor's surgery, shops, and a eatery such as a pub restaurant.

They are seeking resource consent to develop the land, which they bought two years ago for $27 million from three owners.

The site is on Halswell Rd opposite the Aidanfield subdivision and is now farmland.

The development site on Halswell Rd, looking towards the Port Hills.

The subdivision's planned layout, with the commercial area at the top and stormwater basin in the bottom right corner.

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The development, if approved, would be the biggest new mixed-use subdivision in the city for some years.

Progressive Enterprises' consent application for the project is before Christchurch City Council and, following a staff report, is likely to go to the straight to the Environment Court rather than being ruled on by council.

As the application is for a non-complying activity, by law it would need to have 'less than minor adverse effects' to be eligible for approval by council.

The covered pool will have an area of 2000sq m.

John McDonagh, associate property professor at Lincoln University, said he was not surprised at a supermarket chain getting into land development.

'This type of thing is more common in Australia, it seems they are trying to do it here,' he said.

The subdivision site is opposite the Aidanfield subdivision.

Walkways and cycle routes are part of the plan.

Residents will be able to become members to use the swimming pool.

The commercial centre would be at the northern end of the development.

'Instead of responding to demand they will create their own. If they don't make as much money with the land development, they are virtually guaranteed a captive market for years.'

McDonagh said that because of customer loyalty cards, supermarkets already knew a lot about customers' preferences and lifestyles and could use this to sell them things other than groceries, including new homes.

Intended to create 'a strong sense of community or collective life' according to the consent application, the subdivision's housing would be arranged into four villages, each with their own character.

It would have mainly free-standing homes on sections sized from 300sqm to 600sqm.

There would also be 24 'New York style' apartments.

The 3.4ha commercial area would be built in stages.

It would have a 3600sqm Countdown supermarket, up to 21 specialty shops with a large medical centre and pre-school, cafe, and tavern.

Residents would be able to join a club to gain access to an indoor swimming pool and attached amenities.

Included would be pocket parks the application describes as 'outside living rooms', landscaped areas, covered outdoor areas, walkways and cycle paths, and a large stormwater basin at the south-east corner of the site.

A shared space road would be designed to allow for future public transport.

The proposed subdivision site is within the Christchurch District Plan's outline development plan area which provides for residential and some commercial development between Halswell, Hendersons, Sparks and Milns Rds.

An external consultant's report commissioned by the city council concludes the subdivision's shopping area would not affect business in the central city.