Russell Coutts' wall irks neighbour

Russell Coutt's sprawling Tindall Bay property, pictured, is not popular with his neighbours - and that's before it's even finished. Photo / NZ Herald

Beach resident unhappy over council ‘disregard’ in approving yachtie’s mansion

A concrete wall and a mega-mansion Sir Russell Coutts is building on the Whangaparaoa Peninsula is causing controversy even before they are fully built.

Helen Schlichting, who owns a single-level holiday bach next to the multimillion-dollar luxury house that is under construction in Tindalls Bay, said the 2m high retaining wall would partly block her view of the ocean and the towering two-storey home would intrude on her privacy.

Ms Schlichting, of Browns Bay, said she had no problems with the international sailing icon but rather how Auckland Council had administered the resource consent process for his sprawling beachfront home.

She was unhappy at not being consulted, and with the consent stating that any effects on her and her property "have been disregarded".

"I do feel very disrespected by the attitude of the council resource consent officer ... the neighbour, myself, she was disregarding is specifically named on the resource consent so they obviously realised that there would be a negative impact on us," she said.

"If I had been aware earlier of the extent and the height of the retaining wall and filling, there would have been the opportunity to discuss some details of their plans that impact my property."

However a Council spokesman said the phrase used in the consent decision was the words "effects that must be disregarded" and that is a phrase taken directly from the RMA legislation so it was not the planner's choice of words.

A soil filling of 1000 cubic metres was being used where the 2m retaining wall was being constructed; adding a 1.1m balustrade would bring the total height to 3.1m.

"[It goes] right on our eastern boundary and right forward into our beachfront view area," Ms Schlichting said.

The three-level 667sq m house, with five bedrooms, six bathrooms, three living areas, tennis and basketball courts and retaining wall, got resource consent last year.

"Our privacy will be affected as the neighbours will now be walking around at our head height and looking right down into our garden ... my house now feels as if it's located in a hole next door," Ms Schlichting said.

Her family had owned the house, which has a QV valuation of $2 million, for about 55 years.

An Auckland Council spokesman said the approved consent complied with the plan provisions in relation to Ms Schlichting's property boundary. The retaining wall also met the height boundary rule, and the inundation level of 3.1m from the mean sea level was aimed at protecting buildings from flooding risk, he said.

"There are no privacy provisions with the Rodney District Plan, so the planner is unable to take those effects into consideration," the spokesman said.

"Auckland Council has provided the resident with all the relevant documentation and a senior manager personally visited her to discuss all the consenting issues and apologise if she was upset by her treatment.

"It is now Helen's choice if she wants to challenge the decision in court."

Three houses - valued at a total of $7.7 million - had to be cleared to get the 2435sq m site for Sir Russell's Tindalls Beach residence.

The total cost of the house is unclear, but work on the property had begun when the Herald last visited the site.

Sir Russell could not be reached and his personal assistant did not reply to the Herald's request for comments.Sir Russell also owns a Takapuna apartment and houses and land in Central Otago.