Charges loom over building work

Alterations on the former Four Square building in Greytown had started last month without permission, according to South Wairarapa District Council.

The developer behind the refurbishment of Greytown's old Four Square store in Main St could be facing prosecution for failing to get resource consents before starting work.

South Wairarapa District councillors will be presented with a report from planning and environment manager Murray Buchanan tomorrow bringing them up to date on the situation.

Councillors are aware work had started on transforming the old Four Square, which many years earlier had been FJ Nichols garage, into a shopping centre without Westwood Commercial Ltd having resource consents to do so.

A review of the file by council officers reveals there appears to be a case for prosecuting the company, according to Mr Buchanan.

He said the file documents and a brief of possible evidence will be forwarded to the council's legal advisor for assessment and a decision would then be made as to whether court action would be taken.

Last month, the project manager for the old store's alterations, Steve Pilbrow, told the Times-Age he planned to build five retail outlets and a cafe into the renovated building.

He expected the shopping centre to be up and running by Christmas.

By mid-September the portico entrance had been removed and the interior of the old store had been gutted.

Mr Pilbrow is also planning to develop a prime site right alongside the building early next year, which would house two retail shops, a restaurant and offices.

Wairarapa's Combined District Plan forbids alterations to heritage buildings without consent.

Although, according to the council, consents had not been granted before Mr Pilbrow starting alterations, plans of what was to be done had been submitted to council.

Elsewhere in Greytown the "one-stop-shop" process is being invoked in agreement with Greytown District Trust Lands Trust as a test run to construct an industrial building, establishing a new business for South Wairarapa.

Mr Buchanan did not give further details in his report but the "one-stop-shop" concept is one whereby multiple services are offered in one location negating the need for customers to shop or do business throughout the entire town.