City supermarket not required to have parking

The Auckland Finance Centre block of buildings nestled between Victoria St West, Albert St and Durham St West. Photo / Martin Sykes

Auckland's new Countdown supermarket in the CBD will not need to offer shoppers parking.

In an unusual move for a big supermarket, the store will only be required to cater for walk-in customers, who will have to carry their groceries away.

Heather Harris, manager resource consents at Auckland Council, said parking was not a consideration in regulatory approval for the new store or any other property in the CBD.

"There is no requirement for car parking for any activity - retail, office or residential - including the proposed supermarket, within the central business district," she said.

The Countdown will open in the lower level of the Finance Centre, which has access from a number of streets, straddling Albert St and Victoria St West. Harris said the council parking policy aimed to cut cars clogging the city.

"This is in recognition of the need to restrict the amount of parking within the central area to reduce traffic congestion and encourage people to use public transport. The proposed supermarket therefore is only required to provide for servicing of the activity [in the form of a loading space] which it can do.

"The supermarket is a permitted activity and does not require a resource consent. A building consent will be required for building works," she said.

Progressive said this week it would open a 2000sq m store to complement its 3000sq m Countdown Auckland City in Quay St on the waterfront.

Luke Schepen, Progressive's national communications and public affairs manager, said it would cater to a special type of customer.

"The store will be a Countdown with central city tweaks as necessary to meet the needs of customers in the area."

Kermadec Property Fund owns the Finance Centre and the store is planned for the area vacated by an appliance retailer and Servilles Hair Academy Salon which listed its address as 8 Durham St West.