Resource consent wait for Barrett St hospital site
Its been an eyesore for years, but there is work ticking along behind the scenes to clear the Barrett St hospital site in central New Plymouth. The 7.6-hectare site, still cluttered with decrepit, contaminated buildings, has a land value of $5.3 million and Te Atiawa gets first right of refusal, but their understanding is they will receive a cleared, usable site. Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) has applied for a resource consent to enable the removal of stockpiles of demolition material. This was lodged in December 2019 and is still under review by New Plymouth District Council, LINZ group manager of land and property Stephanie Forrest said in an emailed statement. READ MORE: * Progress on clearing contaminated site in central New Plymouth * Call for quick action on 'hazardous waste-ridden ruin' at prime New Plymouth site * Photographer's determination to document demise of derelict former hospital We will be engaging with Te Atiawa as part of this process. While the consent is being processed, LINZ has issued two tenders to help fast-track the work as soon as they have permission. The first tender is for an environmental practitioner to oversee the environmental aspects of the clearance and to undertake further investigation of areas that were not part of the scope of the 2019 investigation. The second tender is for a contractor to clear the stockpiles and demolish the non-heritage buildings. The former Nurses' Home, the Dawson St gates and the brick wall are protected from demolition. The tenders close mid-August and they expect to award contracts by the end of September. Once the contract is awarded, we will have a better idea of how long clearance work will take to be completed. No physical work can start onsite until the consent is granted. At this stage we do not know how long that will take. New Plymouth District Council group manager of strategy Liam Hodgetts said the proposal includes earthworks near to a site of significance to Maori and the applicant is consulting with Te Atiawa iwi and Ngati Te Whiti hapu. Once this consultation is completed, well process the resource consent application. The old hospital site has a complex history and well use a number of regulatory tools at our disposal to ensure any work is carried out appropriately and safely.