More trees, green spaces, and enhanced pedestrian routes are part of Christchurch City Council’s draft vision for the city’s South-East Central neighbourhood.
South-East Central covers the area bordered by Fitzgerald Avenue, Moorhouse Avenue, Colombo Street, St Asaph Street, Manchester Street and Armagh Street.
More than 450 new homes have been built since 2018, with a further 200 homes under construction or in the consenting process, the Council said.
Key landmarks of the neighbourhood include Te Kaha, Latimer Square, Te Pūkenga (New Zealand Institute of Skills and Technology), and the SALT District.
Council Head of City Growth and Property, Bruce Rendall says the area is poised to undergo significant change over the next 10 years.
“With Te Kaha coming online in 2026, and a number of housing and commercial developments in the pipeline, it’s important to have a strong and cohesive vision for the future of the South-East Central neighbourhood,” Mr Rendall says.
The community were invited to share their ideas for the neighbourhood from 26 June to 24 July 2023.
“We’ve heard from the community that people want to see a healthy, green neighbourhood that is easy to get around, with quality housing and vibrant commercial areas, and a strong sense of community.”
“The draft South-East Central Neighbourhood Plan has been built around these key themes and outlines a range of actions that the Council, Council partners and the community can work towards collectively to guide the area in this direction.
“The community told us that increasing the number of trees, ensuring it’s easy to move around the neighbourhood, and supporting owners of vacant land to develop their sites would contribute to creating a vibrant, attractive, and cohesive neighbourhood,” says Mr Rendall.
The Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board will consider the draft plan at their meeting on Thursday. If endorsed, it will then go out for community consultation in early March.
