Housing intensification proposal challenged by submitters

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

A Christchurch engineering lecturer says the city council’s proposed changes to the district plan includes a “manufactured” reason to stop developers from building higher density housing.

Tom Logan, a senior lecturer in civil systems engineering at the University of Canterbury, is one of about 1000 people and organisations who have told the city council their views on Plan Change 14 (PC14), which aims to increase housing availability and affordability by cutting red tape.

A final round of submissions closed on Monday, with an independent hearings panel set to begin in October.

The plan change was triggered by new medium density rules set by central government in 2021, which called on large cities like Christchurch to allow up to three homes of three storeys each on most sections across the city.

Read the full story by reporter Sinead Gill here (subscription required).

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A brand-new five-storey mural has just gone up — the first of many outdoor artworks set to appear around Christchurch in the lead-up to February’s climate art festival.

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