A developer wants to demolish an old 1940s house in Clyde and build six town houses onsite, but neighbours are not happy with the proposal.

Hamlin Enterprises proposes to build two-storied units on the land at 50 Sunderland St and 11 Fache St, which is partially contained within the town's Heritage Precinct. 

A hearing has been set down for September 11 with the Central Otago District Council’s hearing panel, and the applicant seeks to enable construction of the townhouses prior to the subdivision being undertaken. 

Planning consultant for the council, Tom McIntyre, has recommended that Hamlin Enterprises be granted consent for the multi-unit development, subject to conditions.

Three submitters opposed the application, including Graham Perkins, who also owns a 1940s house right next door to the development.

He is concerned the two-storied units will completely block sun from his property, destroy his views, and is also concerned, along with other submitters about the density of the development in the context of the Clyde historic precinct.

But the planner in his report said, while the permitted baseline differs between the Sunderland St lots and the Fache St lot, the Heritage Precinct notation only overlays the Sunderland St area.

Under the district plan, the construction of any new building or structure within the Heritage Precinct is a discretionary (restricted) activity.

All of the proposed buildings are subject to the precinct overlay and therefore require resource consent, however, as the precinct does not extend over 11 Fache St, it is a permitted activity to construct a residential dwelling within that lot.

He recommends that the proposal be considered as an application for land use subdivision consent to a discretionary activity and has the view that while adverse effects on the environment will arise, the actual and potential effects will be appropriate, “and that granting consent will not be contrary to the objectives and policies of the operative district plan or to any regional or national planning document”.