Ngahinapouri plan: A new intersection, a village hub, more housing and room for the school to grow

Close-up of the new roundabout intersections of Reid Rd, SH39 and Ngahinapouri Rd. Image / Supplied

A new intersection, a village hub, more housing and room for the school to grow are some of the ideas put forward as part of the draft Ngahinapouri Village Concept Plan.

The plan, approved for consultation at Waipā District Council's Strategic Planning and Policy committee last week, is now open to the public for their feedback.

Council's strategic projects driver Justine Kennedy said the plan had a little bit for everyone.

"The draft plan has provision for a number of village improvements, including a proposed community and economic hub where local shops and amenities could be located and three growth cells for large lot residential housing.

"We have also explored six intersection options of Reid Rd, SH39 and Ngahinapouri Rd to help address traffic issues created by growth and the community's concerns around the safety of children getting to Ngahinapouri School."

Ngahinapouri's growth projections are modest, with the Waipā 2050 Growth Strategy indicating the village population is set to grow by 300 people by 2050.

Conceptual artist's impression of the village commercial precinct building with al-fresco dining, covered pedestrian frontage and on-street parking. Image / Supplied

This expected growth has prompted council to look at what amenities the village should have in the future. Council has worked closely with iwi partners, key community stakeholders, Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and the Ministry of Education in the development of the plan.

With new housing required to meet growth projections, questions were raised about the safety of town entrances, particularly the Reid Rd intersection, which intersects State Highway 39 adjacent to Ngahinapouri School. Following discussions with Waka Kotahi and the community, council has included six intersection options for consideration.

The options range from no changes to the current layout, three roundabout variations, traffic lights and a road realignment. Each have been considered against transportation, community and urban planning objectives, with one intersection coming out on top as preferred.

"The three-leg roundabout achieved the highest ranking, however the standard roundabout option was close behind.

"What's important now is to get our community's feedback on their preference so we can include the best option in the final plan which we hope to have adopted later this year.

"Once the final plan is adopted, the intersection option will be considered for funding in upcoming Long Term Plans," Kennedy said.

The draft Ngahinapouri Village Concept Plan, supporting technical information and a feedback form is available at council offices and online at www.waipadc.govt.nz/haveyoursay.

The consultation period closes at 5pm, Friday, April 9.