Cresta Ave/Beach Haven Rd development stopped
Today the inappropriate Cresta Ave/Beach Haven Rd development has been refused!
The applicant had applied to build 81 dwellings (later reduced to 72) across land zoned for single houses, contrary to the Auckland Unitary Plan.
The Hearing Panel has just released it's decision which you can download in full here:
drive.google.com...
It is a very thorough judgement that addresses a number of issues with the proposal. But in the end, the Panel has determined that:
"the proposal is contrary to the objectives and policies of the Auckland Unitary Plan (OP) in overall terms."
In particular I'm pleased that they have agreed with the Kaipātiki Local Board's argument that this application could set a precedent for ignoring Unitary Plan zoning rules:
"there is a potential for an adverse precedent to arise, particularly given our observations about the factual extent of the Single House Zone within the Beach Haven area, and of course beyond. Therefore, and having found that the proposal is contrary to the clear policy intent of the Auckland Unitary Plan (OP), we find that granting consent would impact the integrity of the plan and has the potential to create expectations that similarly framed proposals would gain consent."
A huge thankyou to everyone who has been involved in this process. Hopefully developers will now think twice before trying to get around Auckland's planning rules!
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we're having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️
What's your favourite tomato recipe?
Kia ora neighbours. We know your tomato plants are still growing, but we're looking ahead to the harvest already! If you've got a family recipe for tomatoes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine to share with our readers. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our February 2025 issue.
Poll: When should the tree go up? 🎄
From what we've heard, some Christmas trees are already being assembled and decorated.
What are your thoughts on the best time to get your Christmas tree up?
-
4.6% Second half of November
-
43.5% 1st December
-
17.5% A week before Christmas
-
33.3% Whenever you wish
-
1.1% Other - I'll share below