Plan change proposal aids school move

The Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration will seek public feedback on a proposal to make changes to the Christchurch District Plan to enable the relocation of Redcliffs School.

Due to rock falls caused by the 2011 earthquake, the school is currently operating at a temporary location about three kilometres from its original site.

In March 2015 the government proposed closing the school, but in June 2016 it agreed to return Redcliffs School to the area on the condition it be established on a different site.

The old Redcliffs School site in Main Road, Redcliffs.

Section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act can be used to implement changes to Christchurch City Council’s district plan to speed up regeneration processes.

In late January this year, Regenerate Christchurch recommended using the legislation to enable the school to be re-located to Redcliffs Park and the original site converted to a park. The Christchurch City Council agreed to the land swap after public consultation found nearly 80 percent of those who made submissions supported the proposal.

Regenerate Christchurch Chief Executive Ivan Iafeta acknowledges many people in Redcliffs want to see the school return to their community as soon as possible.

“The role of Regenerate Christchurch is to identify opportunities to regenerate particular areas, assess those opportunities and put forward development proposals and advice for the government and Christchurch City Council to consider.

“We know schools are core elements of communities and we acknowledge the Redcliffs community’s commitment to having a school in its area again.

“We sought expert advice, which highlighted for us the complexities of the area’s natural environment, particularly in relation to its coastal location. But we concluded that, on balance, the proposed location would be appropriate given the Ministry of Education’s expectation that the new buildings would be in use for about 50 years and that the site would be designed to ensure it was a genuine long-term location for the school.

“At the end of January, we delivered our recommendation to the Minister that Section 71 of the Greater Christchurch Regeneration Act be used to fast-track the school’s relocation. Public notification of the proposal provides an opportunity for the Minister to receive and consider public feedback,” Mr Iafeta says.

The proposal will be publicly notified this weekend. Details about the process are available on the Department of the Prime Minister & Cabinet website.