Seven-storey $240m central city Ryman retirement village approved after redesign

Friday, 5 November 2021

An artist's impression of part of the proposed Ryman retirement complex on Park Tce, Christchurch.

A $240 million central Christchurch retirement village with buildings up to seven storeys high has been given the go-ahead.

Independent commissioners approved the Ryman Healthcare complex on two Park Tce sites after the company revised its plans following neighbours’ objections.

The complex will have six buildings. It will comprise 155 apartments with one to three bedrooms, plus 54 assisted living suites and 70 rooms for aged and dementia care.

A swimming pool, gym, bowling green, and restored heritage chapel will be included.

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It will be Ryman’s biggest investment in Christchurch yet, and one of the central city’s largest upcoming construction projects.

New Zealand's population is growing, and ageing at a rapid rate.

Neighbours of the land, which sits between Peterborough and Dorset streets, had made submissions that the complex would spoil their sun and privacy.

In June, the commissioners said they would approve the project if Ryman reduced its visual dominance and shading, especially on its eastern side.

The company’s other option was to withdraw the consent applications.

In response, Ryman has trimmed a storey from one of the buildings and removed 10 apartments from the original plan. The facade design has also been altered in places.

Ryman’s corporate affairs manager, David King, said the complex would provide some badly needed facilities, and they were “delighted to be able to get on with it”.

“We plan to get on and build as soon as we can next year.”

The northern piece of land previously housed Bishopspark, a low-rise Anglican retirement complex damaged in the earthquakes and since demolished.

The southern site had been home to the Terrace on the Park apartment towers, which were between six and 11 storeys high and were also demolished after the quakes.

A map showing where the approved Ryman Healthcare retirement village will sit.

In their decision, commissioners David Mountfort and David Caldwell said Ryman’s revised design would reduce the complex’s height and bulk, increasing sunlight to neighbours’ homes and improving the look of the buildings.

“We have considered the revised proposals and are satisfied they address our concerns expressed in the interim decision,” their decision said.

“They will achieve a significant improvement in adverse shading and visual effects to the properties on the eastern side of the site.”

The retirement village will sit on two separate but nearby sites. (Artist’s impression)

The tallest building in the complex will face Park Tce and Hagley Park.

Ryman told the commissioners they had consulted with most of the affected neighbours about the changes, tried to consult with the others, and received approvals from some.

The commissioners said they did not consider it necessary to “reconvene the hearing or to hear directly from the experts”.

“We note that although the applicant has not succeeded in gaining affected party approvals from all the eastern neighbours, we do not place any significance on this.

“This application was fully notified, and all owners and occupiers at the adjacent sites had opportunity to submit.

“The amendments have reduced the scale of the original proposal and in our view appropriately address the concerns we identified in our interim decision.

“We are satisfied the shading and associated effects are now acceptable. The amendments do not create any additional adverse effects.”

Ryman, which was started in Christchurch in the mid-1980s, is a publicly owned company with more than 12,700 aged care beds and retirement apartments in New Zealand and Australia, and plans to establish several thousand more.