Big growth going on and planned......I think it should have its own thread.

Hundreds of houses could be built in northern Christchurch as a plan change moves closer to being publicly notified.

Between 550 and 700 houses could be built on the 64-hectare Belfast site if it was rezoned from rural to living G, which allows a mix of residential and business properties.

Lot sizes would vary, but on average be about 600 square metres.

No price has yet been put on the project, which will be funded by shareholders of Belfast Park and its wholly owned subsidiary, Tyrone Estates, which lodged the application.

A spokesman for the developers declined to comment.

The Christchurch City Council's regulatory and planning committee yesterday recommended that the council notify the plan change and appoint a panel to hear the application once submissions close.

A hearing is expected early next year.

Most of the land is in an area already identified by the council's urban development strategy as suitable for urban growth.

A report to the committee says the project also fits in with the recently released Belfast area plan that examines land-use options over the next 30 years.

The site is between Belfast Rd and Thompsons Rd.

Planner Mal Nash said the applicant wanted to develop the site now rather than wait until 2017, as it had first indicated.

The council will meet next week to vote on notifying the plan change.

A $145 million shopping centre in northern Christchurch is a step closer after commissioners agreed to a planning change.

The Styx Centre project, which would be almost as big as Westfield Riccarton, would include a variety of shops and offices in a 45,000 square metre complex next to the Northwood Supa Centa.

However, Christchurch's business community questions whether another big shopping development is needed in a city that already has the most retail space per head of any Australasian city.

Commissioners appointed by the Christchurch City Council have approved the rezoning of a nine-hectare Belfast site, clearing the way for Auckland-based developers to build the mall, which could open by 2017. The council had opposed the application because of adverse effects on other city retailers.

Developer Ian Calderwood, of Calco Developments, said the decision showed the council was wrong.

While Calderwood expected the matter to end up in the Environment Court, he and the other developers were celebrating what he said was a strong sign that the development was welcome in the city.

Some conditions, including reducing the maximum building height from 20 metres to 16m, better public access along the Styx River, providing buildings for community use and limiting the number of vehicle-access points, are contained in the commissioners' report.

The report was adopted behind closed doors at last week's council meeting.

In their decision, commissioners David Serjeant and Rachel Dunningham said the site had many attributes that make it ideal for a district centre.

They were satisfied river protection – a key concern of neighbours – would be assured.

Being a large greenfields site, close to arterial roads, centrally located and having "buffers" from nearby houses meant the site "stacked up", they said.

Redwood Springs resident and former All Black Bill Bush, who opposed the proposal at planning hearings, was happy with some of the conditions but still wanted to see a centre model to ease his concerns.

"It [the development] is going to happen," Bush said.

"We can't stop it, but, hopefully, we [neighbours] can keep our privacy."

Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale called on the council to consider capping the number of new shopping centres, saying the city was already "over-shopped".

Those concerns were echoed by Canterbury Employers' Chamber of Commerce chief executive Peter Townsend.

However, he said a new complex in that part of Christchurch would help meet the demands of the area's growing population.

The commissioners agreed that having banks, professional services and other businesses would create job opportunities in the area.

A report prepared for the council estimated the project would be worth $145m initially.

The Styx Centre would include about 35,000sqm of retail and 10,000sqm of commercial space.

It would include a large basement car park, a north-south main street precinct along the site's eastern side, major anchor stores at the northern and southern ends and a variety of stores and commercial offices.

Key potential tenants have yet to be confirmed.

Calderwood said his company had spent about $2m on the project to date.

Very nice, although this means all the people from satellite towns and north/nor east chch are more likely to completely avoid the cbd and go to yet another mall for retail therapy, yay for urban sprawl and city planning! hold on, make that suburb planning :P

All this northern section of the city is ripe for development - it has been since Northwood came into being. It is all part of the Greater Christchurch City Plan to have this area as a major service area, so great.

The CBD is still the number one priority - hence developments such as the National Conservatorium are so vital to the "inner city hum" that is begining to show it's head again.

It will be fantastic i agree! always wondered what was going to happen out there, seems begging for it every time i drive out there to go to the coast!

I am wondering if this area will emerge as a transport hub in the future. It is very strategic in terms of location for any future commuter rail system. It will be a huge shopping area that is for sure.

Christchurch mall owners want the size of a rival operator's proposed shopping centre slashed by two-thirds.

The Styx Centre would be almost as big as Westfield Riccarton and have a mix of shops and offices in a 45,000-square metre complex next to the Northwood Supa Centa.

Kiwi Property Management (KPM), which has interests in the Supa Centa, wants the Styx mall downsized and a cap placed on how big it can get.

Environment Court papers show KPM wants the Styx project to be limited to 15,000 square metres from 2020. It also has concerns about increased traffic volumes generated by the development.

Commissioners appointed by the Christchurch City Council approved the rezoning of a nine-hectare Belfast site late last year for the project. Auckland developer Calco Developments hopes to open the centre by 2017.

The $145 million project will include about 35,000sqm of retail space and 10,000sqm of commercial area.

KPM's objection is one of five appeals to the Environment Court against the rezoning decision. Others include Environment Canterbury, which is concerned about the provision of bus routes.

The Waimakariri District Council wants the project canned.

Calco spokesman Ian Calderwood said yesterday he was confident the company's "robust" consent would hold up in the Environment Court.

KPM did not like the prospect of competition next door, he said.

All parties have until March 15 to consider mediation.

The more i think about this the more ridiculous it becomes! Do we really need ANOTHER mall of that size especially in that location?

I guess i would rather 145 million spent in the CBD!

IMAGINE THAT....i love how dreams are free

The more i think about this the more ridiculous it becomes! Do we really need ANOTHER mall of that size especially in that location?

I guess i would rather 145 million spent in the CBD!

IMAGINE THAT....i love how dreams are free

Yes though people in Kaiapoi, Woodend, Pegasus, Rangiora would be generally not be likely to travel into the CBD to do shopping anyway - Currently they will either shop locally or go to the nearest other malls of either Northwood SupaCentre or Northlands.

The CBD will be fine if the City Council ensures that it keeps to it's higher urban density plan for the CBD and main transport corridors. As long as the council remembers that whenever they think about opening up vast swathes of land for more urban residential sprawl.

The Press

A plan to build hundreds of houses in northern Christchurch would "refresh" the area, the landowner says.

A public hearing on a proposal to rezone a 64.2-hectare Belfast property began yesterday after landowner Belfast Park Ltd (BPL) applied to the Christchurch City Council for a plan change last year.

Under the proposal, the rural site would be rezoned to allow 42.8ha for housing and 3.35ha for businesses.

Between 550 and 700 houses could be built on the site, with an average section size of about 600 square metres.

The developers would also create a 12ha open-space network, including wetlands and recreation reserves, and establish a "comprehensive transport network" for motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.

In its legal submission, BPL said the development would "refresh" the area and help turn Belfast into a "more modern, self-sufficient and sustainable" community.

The hearing is scheduled to finish on Friday.