Five homes to be built on single Auckland section

Plans to build five three-storey terraced homes on an Auckland section currently holding just one house and a garage are to go ahead - to the disgust of locals

Auckland Council has granted resource consent for a development project that would see a picturesque Mt Albert house on the corner of Grant street and Seaview Terrace bowled.

In its place will be a cluster of new homes that property developer Graeme Fan said would benefit five families who need a place to call their own.

However, locals are disappointed and have concerns about the impact of having more people and cars on the neighbourhood's narrow streets. They say their objections seem to have fallen on deaf ears.

A handful took to a local Facebook community page to express discontent the development was able to go through without their concerns being addressed.

Izania Downie, who regularly drops off her two nieces at the nearby Gladstone Primary School, was disappointed but not surprised consent was granted.

"I don't think there is anything we can do now, it's basically gone through. It's pretty disappointing and frustrating that they don't listen to us."

She told the Herald while local residents she spoke to were "pretty angry" about the development none of them were in a position to just up and leave.

In the resource consent document, Auckland Council duty commissioner Leigh McGregor gave the development a nod of approval.

"I remain satisfied that these applications do not require to be notified on either a public or limited basis.

"The actual and potential effects of the proposal will be avoided, remedied or mitigated."

The document detailed concerns around the loss of trees would be mitigated by the plans to replace them with even more trees; the impact of the shadows from the taller buildings were negligible; and that there would be "no significant" impacts on the wider transportation network.

Downie disagreed saying more work needed to be done for the network to cope with the additional bodies.

She was not outright opposed to the development, but said it was the size.

"We obviously need more housing, but that intensification: it's the extent and the positioning of it. It's out of character with the area."

The block was in the middle of a Mixed Housing Urban Zone, which permits up to two dwellings per site.

Three or more requires a non-notified discretionary resource consent - which in this case was granted.