New Plymouth's next big hotel plan in limbo over planning and height issues

Tuesday, 14 March 2017

Philip Brown says his plans for a $40m hotel in New Plymouth are stalled because of restrictive planning rules.

The developer behind a $40 million hotel proposal has claimed the project is stalled because council rules are not flexible enough to accommodate the multi storey building.

On Tuesday the New Plymouth businessman Philip Brown said the development of his 140-room hotel, that would be at least 30 metres in height, was dependent on amendments to New Plymouth District Council's (NPDC) district plan.

Philip Brown is the man behind the city's relatively new Hobson Hotel.

'The opportunities under the current plan are extremely limited, particularly for mixed-use developments that may include retail,' he said.

'Currently that is limited to small low rise projects within the city CBD area and therefore, until that changes, progress will be stalled.'

New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom has invited Philip Brown to talk with him directly about his hotel proposal.

New Plymouth Mayor Neil Holdom said he was unsure of Brown's plans but he suspected the businessman was negotiating through the media in blaming the district plan for the project being stalled.

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The NPDC said the plan was flexible and it was willing to work with Brown on the development.

Brown criticised current development consent procedures and compliance costs, calling them 'too long, too hard and invariably uneconomic'.

'I am not suggesting carte blanche changes, rather identifying areas within the CBD commercial grid that have limited or no view shaft impediments where developments of such scale and size are permissible.'

The proposed hotel was expected to be located somewhere between Waiwhakaiho and Bell Block but the exact location has never been confirmed.

It would offer hotel rooms, retail, 'state of the art' conferencing and wedding facilities as well as short and long stay apartments.

Backed by a yet to be revealed foreign investor, the hotel promised to be the biggest and best in the city, bringing up to 200 new jobs.

Brown said the hotel chain, which was well represented overseas, would also open in other locations throughout New Zealand.

Brown, who made millions when he sold his company Tenderlink to Fairfax, said he remained confident the plans would get council's approval and said the site was located in a business commercial area.

Council's strategy group manager Liam Hodgetts said the council preferred to work with applicants when developing ideas prior to the lodgement of formal applications.

'There are some locations where larger scale developments may be appropriate outside the CBD but this needs to be worked through in a considered way with the developer.'

He said the current plan was flexible and pointed to Brown's other development, Hotel Novotel New Plymouth Hobson, as an example.

'[It] was an application that was 'out of zone' but was consented to under the current district plan.'

Hodgetts said that certain location and height limitations ensured a coordinated approach to the development of the city, benefiting the 'livability of the whole community'.

When the project was announced Holdom welcomed the potential it brought for the growth of tourism in the region.

'This is fantastic news and reflects the confidence businesses have in our region,' he said, but added he would want to ensure Brown's vision aligned with that of council's.

On Tuesday Holdom said he would like to meet with Brown in person as the proposed plans 'sound really exciting'.

'I'd like to take a look at the guy, I've never met him,' he said.

'He's got my contact details, the building is easy to find here and my door is open.'