Tawa Town Centre Plan
Notes of meeting with town centre businesses
Wednesday 29 July, 2015, 5:30 to 6:30 Tawa Community Centre
Purpose of meeting
The meeting aimed to:
•	Raise awareness of the Town Centre Plan project amongst town centre property owners and business operators 
•	Get early input from businesses on existing issues in the town centre and potential improvements
•	Identify a group of core stakeholders for the Town Centre Plan.
Attendance
An invitation was posted to all property owners (from rates database) and occupiers (physical property address) within:
•	The main town centre, ie land zoned “Centre” between Cambridge Street and Surrey Street on both sides of Main Road
•	The Oxford Street neighbourhood centre, ie land zoned “Centre” around the Main Road / Oxford Street junction
•	Tawa Junction.
Vibrant Tawa members – a group of locals involved in promoting and improving Tawa Town Centre, and the Tawa Community Board were also invited.
The meeting was attended by around 20 local property owners, business operators and Vibrant Tawa members. Also present were Ward Councillors Justin Lester and Malcolm Sparrow, and council staff Lucie Desrosiers, David Mitchell and Elizabeth Moncrieff. 
Earlier consultation 
In March and April 2015, the Council conducted a suburb-wide consultation with the community on housing choice and town centre planning. This consultation resulted in significant feedback on the future housing of Tawa, but with minimal response regarding the future of the town centre. We also identified the need to consult directly with the businesses and landowners in the centre to understand their plans and aspirations for the future.

Meeting agenda
Lucie Desrosiers presented on the Council’s behalf. She explained:
•	What is a town centre plan
•	Why we are doing it
•	What’s included a town centre plan
•	Key examples (Miramar, Kilbirnie and Newlands)
•	The process of developing a plan and where we are at now
•	Issues and opportunities already identified
•	Two discussion questions.
For the presentation, please email housing.choice@wcc.govt.nz 
Discussion 1: What are the current issues or problems facing Tawa town centre?
Attendees were asked to list the issues which impacted their business, as well as issues affecting the entire town centre. All responses put forward in the meeting are listed below, in no priority.
Traffic, road and parking
Traffic, roads and parking were the most common and extensively discussed issues. Attendees are concerned with the traffic volume along Main Road, including:
•	high numbers of heavy vehicles (trucks) that pass through the town centre
•	occasional backup from the State Highway
•	a significant increase in traffic at peak times including school pickup and drop-off 
•	generally high levels of traffic passing through but not stopping in Tawa. 
Some attendees, while acknowledging an issue with traffic flow, highlighted that traffic is necessary to support their business. 
Traffic issues can lead to impacts on parking. Some attendees consider the angled car parking in the town centre unsafe. The parking bays’ angle and their width were specifically mentioned as problematic. The parking layout creates issues for pedestrian movements, car parking and traffic flow. 
Conversely, it was also suggested that no parking spaces should be removed, lest it impact on the retailers. The proportion of long-term and short-term parking was also discussed, with general preference for short-term parking for shoppers. Despite the overall perception of on-street parking being well used and necessary, it was not always apparent that those parked in the centre patronised the shops and services. Some suggested the churches generate a lot of demand for on-street parking, making it harder for shoppers to find a space.
Attendees also noted commuters from other parts of Wellington, particularly Churton Park, are driving to Tawa’s railway stations for parking. However, these commuters are not using Tawa town centre shopping facilities, likely preferring to shop at Takapu Junction, Churton Park, Porirua or Johnsonville. Furthermore, other local uses, such as community facilities, also compete with the retailers for parking.
Town centre image
The issue of commercial vacancies in the town centre was thought to be significant to some, but was countered by the fact new businesses are opening up, including two in the New World complex. 
The poor quality of the shopfronts and buildings along Main Road is an issue for many, including facades looking tired or poorly maintained. The issue of absent landlords was raised, and is thought to be the cause of unkempt buildings and vacant tenancies. There was also a sense that vibrant and engaging colour was lacking from the entire town centre. 
Other issues contributing to the centre’s poor image focused on physical objects such as shelters and public seats. It was noted parts of the centre, particularly the plaza, lack sunlight (this is particularly the case in winter time, when the sun is low), which contributes to retailers not wishing to extend their activities outdoors (eg tables and chairs). Rubbish was also a concern, again specifically in the plaza, which is believed to act as a wind-trap.
A specific site which was mentioned was the stream next to TakeNote. This site was seen as a potential positive feature which currently is not visible or attractive. It is also a site which offers a unique connection to nature within the town centre.
Infrastructure
Several attendees raised the issue of flooding from the stream and the capacity of the stormwater network to cope with heavy flows. Some long-term residents noted this is an ongoing issue.
Retail offer
The limited range of shops was discussed. The centre is perceived to provide well for basic services, although there is a distinct lack of night-time activities. 
Competition from Porirua and Johnsonville town centres is seen as a significant threat to the livelihood of the local businesses. These centres are much larger with a greater range of shops, which often allows for cheaper prices. Coupled with adequate car parking, many local residents choose to shop in these places. 
This significant competition impacts the rents in Tawa, and in the view of some, the resulting low rent levels limit investment and higher quality shops in the centre. Another perceived issue is repeat business types, eg numerous hairdressers.
It was noted the Tawa town centre’s limited shopping and service options mean people from outside the area are rarely drawn to the centre. Local competition from Takapu Island and Outlet City is also problematic for local retailers.
Town centre size
Tawa has several commercial nodes, including the main town centre around New World, the Oxford St junction, Outlet City, Takapu Island and Tawa Junction. This means the retail offer is spread out along most of the suburb’s valley floor instead of being concentrated in one location. 
The town centre size and the ability of the Tawa community to support additional businesses were discussed. The possibility of concentrating the shops, cafes and services in a smaller area was considered. 
Discussion 2: What ideas do you have for making the town centre more successful?
Having outlined the key issues facing Tawa town centre, the discussion moved on to the opportunities for improvement. All suggestions put forward are presented below.
Traffic, road and parking
A range of solutions were proposed for the traffic and parking issues. There was general support for limiting the number and size of trucks that use Main Road. This could be done by diverting them to State Highway 1. Other suggested traffic management solutions were to put in speed humps, or to lower the speed limit to 30km/h, although this was not supported by all.
Significant roading changes were proposed, including a one-way system around the town centre, or putting a roundabout at Lincoln Avenue or Surrey Street. This would allow easier access to both sides of the town centre by providing a safe and legal means to u-turn. 
Widening State Highway 1 and providing an additional connection to Tawa from the highway, around Duncan Street was also suggested. 
Some retailers noted they did not wish to lose traffic and potential shoppers. Ensuring cars could easily manoeuvre in and out of the angled car parking was also important for most people. Other suggestions included increasing the parking on Rewa Terrace, ensuring Main Road was ‘more cohesive’, and directing commuters from the Tawa rail station towards the centre shops. 
Town centre image
Improving the centre’s image can be done through a range of initiatives, from cosmetic changes to more substantial building changes. While cosmetic changes may have a short-term effect, they should not be discounted as they contribute to a long-term change in the perception of the town centre. 
To help tie the cosmetic changes together, a branding strategy for Tawa town centre was suggested. The immediate changes suggested include local artwork, flags, sculptures, more trees, better paving and signage. Cleaner, well-maintained streets would also contribute to improving the image. Increased use of noticeboards and maps was suggested, as was theming the railway stations. Also capitalising on walkways through and around the centre was suggested. Together, these improvements would lead to a more consistent and higher-quality town centre image.
Other potential improvements include kids’ play equipment in the Plaza, or elsewhere in the town centre, where kids could be watched over by parents sitting at cafes; areas for older kids to use after school; outdoor sitting and dining areas; public toilets around the Plaza; general improvements to the buildings; and creating a focal point or central space in the town centre.
Infrastructure
The key infrastructure improvement suggested was to make better use of the stream viewing deck by TakeNote. This has the potential to enable interactions between the natural setting of Tawa and the town centre. 
Given the recent stormwater flooding, ensuring this does not happen in the future is a priority.
Retail offer
Several improvements were proposed to improve the shopping experience. It was suggested OutletCity could relocate to the centre to make it a shopping destination. An increase in local and quality restaurants, cafes and sandwich stores was also suggested. Others noted the option of providing more housing above existing and future shops, as well as shrinking the size of the existing town centre. These two suggestions aimed to make the centre more compact, liveable and vibrant. It was also suggested the empty shops be used for temporary activities, pop-up stores or displays to make the centre look busier and more attractive.
Planning information
Many land and business owners do not know or understand the planning policies and rules which apply to their property. It was suggested the Council supply this information in a direct and easy to understand way, including the potential for apartments above shops and permitted building heights.
Marketing
Some attendees suggested actions the community could take, including setting up an events calendar, which could be advertised city-wide and help attract people to Tawa throughout the year.

Report prepared by Lucie Desrosiers and David Mitchell, City Planning and Design