An artist's example of medium density housing which the council would like to see more of in the region. Photo / Supplied
An artist's example of medium density housing which the council would like to see more of in the region. Photo / Supplied
Hastings District Council is planning on making changes to the District Plan to better support more "medium density" housing, following a review into how best to meet future housing demands.
It is estimated 7000 new homes will be needed in the Hastings district over the next 10 years to meetdemand - which equates to roughly two new homes each day, according to the council.
The council recently completed a review of its medium density housing strategy which seeks to protect the district's versatile soils by providing for thousands more homes within existing urban areas.
The review of the strategy has identified further work needs to be undertaken including finding additional areas where housing can be "intensified".
It also recommends changes to the District Plan in the short-term to make medium density development easier in already identified areas.
Council has adopted the recommendations but "more work is needed to confirm how to make [the recommendations] operative", a council spokeswoman said.
The strategy does not include a robust definition of medium density housing, such as what types of housing will be permitted or not permitted as medium density.
However, medium-density housing can refer to attached houses (two homes that share a wall), terraced houses (a series of homes which stand side by side and each share a wall), or even small apartment buildings.
A big housing development in Flaxmere for 150 homes is currently in the early stages. Photo / Supplied
Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst said a significant amount of work had been undertaken over the years on the issue of housing demand.
"We can't keep expanding on to the plains – If we are serious about protecting our soils, we need to treat this with urgency.
"In Hastings, 7000 new houses are needed over next 10 years, at least 2500 of those in more intensive developments.
"We need to do something different to what's been done in the past – to do a better job of intensifying greenfields as well as inner city areas, being more efficient with how we use available land, but in a way that is appropriate for the size, scale and character of the surrounding community."
The council review also recommended continuing with initiatives to partner with the development sector on housing projects.
