Neighbours oppose planned St Andrews development

Residents in St Andrew’s have signed a petition objecting to the proposed demolition of the former Forum Hotel and an adjacent villa to pave the way for blocks of apartments and shops.

The 150 residents who signed the petition are opposing the development saying, among other things, that the project, which will take two years to complete would impact their standard of living. The development application is being studied by Mepa.

The residents are opposing the proposed building heights since these, they claim, exceed the height stipulated in the North Harbour Local Plan. According to the project description statement, the proposed development consists of heights of four, five, six and even seven storeys from the lowest street level.

The residents claim that the proposed development “will ruin the entire area aesthetically and will end up a hotchpotch of architectural designs”. They say the development will result in a prominent eyesore for all residents in the vicinity.