Swap may bring square

LAND DEAL GO-AHEAD: The land where a future town square in Featherston could be.PHOTO/FILE

Government approval has been granted for South Wairarapa District Council and Trust House to do a land swap in Featherston which could lead to the development of a town square.

Confirming this on Friday South Wairarapa mayor Adrienne Staples said now that ministerial approval had been given the swap would definitely go ahead. "Both the council and Trust House have agreed to it.

"The next step though will be public consultation with regards to what use will be made of the land we get as a result of the swap," she said.

Mrs Staples said because the swap had not been on the drawing board at the time the last annual plan was approved there was no budget in existence regarding the swapped land's development, so that issue would have to be discussed.

The swap involves Trust House taking ownership of the land on which the town's existing supermarket sits and freeing up a like-sized section of Trust House-owned land further north on the same side of Fitzherbert St and adjacent to Clifford Square, next to the skate park.

Earlier this year Mrs Staples said she believed Featherston could benefit from new, attractive features but the town square proposal did not meet with universal approval.

Aspiring district councillor for Greytown ward, David Montgomerie, said the land swap was a good idea but there was no money to develop a square.

He suggested the vacant land be sold or leased and the profits used to develop a town square elsewhere.