Who will develop this land?
The land proposed for new urban areas is in private ownership and will be developed by agreement between the landowners and developers.
When will development in this area happen?
Before development can happen, the District Plan needs to change the zoning of the land from its current “rural” status to other land use activities. The process of changing the District Plan involves engagement with the community and can take a few years to complete. Infrastructure will have to be provided including roads, bulk water supply and storage, sewerage and stormwater drainage. Earthworks will be required to form roads and development platforms to build houses. Landowners and developers will be leading the development process so the timeline is dependent on their decisions and may be influenced by progress in adjoining development areas such a Lower Stebbings and the Reedy Block.
What types of houses are expected to be built?
The development is anticipated to include a mix of 1-2 storey detached and semi-detached houses as well as some 2-3 storeys terraced housing.
Will there be a road connecting to Sunrise Boulevard or Greyfriars Crescent?
No. We have listened to earlier community feedback and are not proposing a connection to existing suburban streets in Tawa.
Why is there no proposed road connection to Tawa?
We looked for opportunities to create a new road connecting Upper Stebbings to Takapu Road station but a number of factors made this unviable: the steep topography and associated costly earthworks; the presence of streams, areas of ecological values and transmission towers that must be retained; and the visual impact of constructing a road over the ridgeline.
Will all the open space be owned by the Council?
There are a number of ways the open space network can be managed in the future. Parts of the network can be “vested” with the Council – this means the Council has ownership of this land. Some open spaces can remain in private ownership and be protected from development through covenants.
Will a primary school be built to cater for the residents of Upper Stebbings and Glenside West?
The Ministry of Education will work closely with WCC to respond to population growth. There are a number of ways the Ministry can do this, including through enrolment schemes, change of class, adding capacity to existing schools or building new schools. The response depends on the existing schooling network, the type of housing built, connections to existing suburbs and the views of the community.