Bain Simpson and Hayden Gould, from Rangitīkei Development, are looking forward to seeing their new subdivision come together in Marton. Photo / Bevan Conley
Bain Simpson and Hayden Gould, from Rangitīkei Development, are looking forward to seeing their new subdivision come together in Marton. Photo / Bevan Conley
Two Rangitīkei business partners are hoping to get the green light to develop an 82-lot subdivision in Marton.
The first 28 sections have been approved and two more stages are planned.
In March 2019, Hayden Gould and Bain Simpson, of Rangitīkei Development, purchased the land on the corner of HerefordSt and Bredins Line after seeing a shortage of housing in the town.
Simpson said Marton had been still for so long "somebody had to get it going, so it happened because we were looking to do something".
"We were looking to buy more rentals in town here but it just didn't stack up and you can buy a section and build here for not much more, if not the same price, as buying an old house in, say, Feilding," Gould said.
All 28 bare sections from the first stage have been sold, mostly to developers, but Gould said the developers still had house and land packages available for many of them.
"That's pretty common here in Marton, a few retirees from Kapiti cashing up and spending half their money on a house here," Gould said.
He said the location was "brilliant", with Marton Primary School and Rangitīkei College a short walk down the road.
The pair hope building can start by March. Photo / Bevan Conley
"We've had a really good response from the community so far, the people we've spoken to."
The engineering has been completed for the site and the pair will present plans for stages two and three to the Rangitīkei and Manawatū district councils, which have a shared services arrangement, in the next few days.
Gould said, if approved, stages two and three could be opened up within the next six weeks and building should be able to start in March.
He said the main street of Marton was in need of a revamp and, alongside Rangitīkei District Council looking to upgrade some buildings, the subdivision would help to get the ball rolling.
Last year, Gould and Simpson also bought the historic 145-year-old Methodist church on the corner of Hereford St and Wellington Rd.
Because of its rotting walls and borer, they decided to pull down the church but were able to salvage about $50,000 of materials to recycle.
