Radical plan change will see Hutt houses get smaller and taller

Thursday, 7 November 2019

Hutt Mayoral candidate and local councillor Campbell Barry says he will 'fight tooth and nail' to save Wainuiomata reserve.

It is known as the Garden City but gardens could be a thing of the past as Lower Hutt sections and houses become smaller and taller.

A radical change to the town planning rules will change the way the city looks for ever.

On Monday councillors voted in Plan Change 43, making it easier to build infill and terraced housing, and multi storey buildings.

In November 2017, then Mayor Ray Wallace said the plan change was aimed at repositioning the city and making sure young people could afford a home.

**READ MORE:

An artist's impression of what Lower Hutt might look like in the future.

* Wainui house prices double

* Mayor wants to help young people, not developers

* Houses could go Wainui pub site

Real estate agents Kimmi Seevens and Rupert Kemeys say there is a desperate need for more houses in Lower Hutt and they support moves to encourage intensification. The semi-detached homes behind them are selling for between $549,000 and $599,000.

* Emergency housing grants at record levels in Hutt**

'This plan change will put Lower Hutt ahead of the game in enabling housing supply to meet demand and avoid the housing shortage and sky rocketing house price situation that we've seen in other New Zealand cities.

'That scenario is a significant drag on city economies and deprives young people the opportunity of owning their own home.'

In Wainuiomata houses are selling faster than they can be built. Most new builds sell for more than $600,000.

So what does the plan change mean and what will Lower Hutt look like in 10 years?

For much of the city the new rules will allow 'medium density housing' on sites larger than 1400 sqm.

That includes terraced and clustered houses, with shared parking and outdoor living areas, and buildings up to 8 metres high or two storeys.

In suburbs with 'traditional quarter acre sections' that could result in significant change, as land values skyrocket.

If the price of land goes up, developers can only get a return by intensification.

Critics of the plan change say Lower Hutt will end up like Coronation Street.

The plan change also creates two new zones in Stokes Valley, Taita, Naenae, Avalon/Park Ave, Epuni, Waterloo, Waiwhetu/Woburn and Wainuiomata.

One would be a new Suburban Mixed Use Activity Area which would see three-storey buildings having shops and cafes on the ground floor, and apartments or offices above.

The second new residential area, located next to the mixed-use area, would allow for residential buildings (townhouses, terraced houses, apartment buildings) up to three storeys.

The new zones are in areas close to shops, schools, public transport and with access to parks.

Lower Hutt already has some terraced housing. This example is in Park Ave.

Real estate agent Rupert Kemeys predicted it would take a few years for the new rules to take effect but overall it was a positive move for the city.

He thought land prices would generally rise, forcing developers to build more terraced and infill houses to get a return.

Intensification was happening in cites all over the world and it was the only way Hutt City could grow, he said.

Having 'more dense' housing around public transport routes and shopping centres was a sensible move

Developer Mike Friday is currently building 100 homes across the city.

There was a desperate shortage of available land and intensification was the only way the city could grow, he said.

People wanted smaller houses and were no longer after big sections, with lots of lawns to cut.

He dismissed claims that Lower Hutt would eventually look like Coronation St.

The city council had been 'very' strict with the rules around privacy, shading, parking and making sure there were good outdoor living areas.

The plan change included a design guide for more intense infill housing and Friday is confident it will only allow good quality developments.

Hard work

Sonya McIntyre has lost count of how many houses she has looked at since May.

The Petone woman is looking for a three-bedroom house in Lower Hutt for her daughter and grand-daughter.

Since May she has checked out four or five houses a week, although on one Sunday she visited a whopping 12 open homes.

So far she has put in offers on three but said the competition and level of interest was overwhelming.

'There are just so many people looking.'

A first home buyer, she has a $57,000 deposit and if she does not find something soon, she is prepared to look at Wairarapa.

Although struggling to find a home, McIntyre had doubts about the plan change, and move to infill housing.

She had looked at a lot of new builds in Wainuiomata and buying a new house with a good-sized section, was her preference.

Real estate agent Kimmi Seevens said that with only 240 houses for sale in Lower Hutt and record numbers of buyers, it was tough for people like McIntyre.