Christchurch Hospital car park building still waiting on consent

Resource consent is still yet to be granted for a planned 450-space car park for people going to Christchurch Hospital. Photo / NZH

Resource consent is yet to be granted for a planned 450-space car park for visitors to Christchurch Hospital.

Plans for the building, between St Asaph St and Hagley Ave, were announced in September last year after the earthquakes significantly reduced parking, subjecting patients, visitors, and staff to long walks.

The building was being constructed with Ngāi Tahu Property. A spokesperson said the resource consent is still being processed through the Christchurch City Council.

Construction had been expected to start before the end of the year but the council says it is still waiting for information from Ngāi Tahu for consent to be granted.

When asked for specific details on the delay, Ngai Tahu remained tight-lipped.

A spokesperson said it is working through the resource consent process as efficiently as possible and providing the council with additional information of a minor and technical nature where and as requested.

"The projected timeline on this development is for construction to start before the end of the year and for the building to be open in the second half of 2022."

The spokesperson said there has been a slight delay because of the design and consenting stages.

The CDHB directed all questions about the car park buillding to Ngāi Tahu.

New Zealand Nurses Organisation delegate Cheryl Hanham said they weren't aware resource consent has not been granted yet.

"When it came out in the news that they had decided to build on that bit of land there, we thought everything had been finalised and it could move forward."

Hanham said parking at the hospital has been an ongoing issue since the earthquakes.

"They promised car parking around the hospital would be sorted by 2019. Yet here we are again, a piece of land is promised but actually the paperwork and the finalisation of getting consent to build it hasn't been done.

"Just more words to placate staff and the public but they're not following through. It is concerning."

Hanham said she thinks the building is still too far from the hospital for some people.

"If you look at the people mainly coming to the hospital, they're either sick or visiting someone unwell. Parking on Deans Ave in rough weather is not a good place to be. Good on them for providing a service like a shuttle but we need something closer to the hospital."

A park and ride service was reopened on Deans Ave in August last year.

Hanham said she has had many meetings with health officials and politicans about the parking.

"Words are just that, we actually need to see them follow through and have some action and things completed. It's high time, well and truly over time actually, it should be done by now.

"It's not on. It's taken too long. Get on and do some work. I am disappointed we haven't seen any land clearing or anything like that [at the site]."