Future of the high performance facility in Jellie Park

The Apollo Project Centre is currently planned to be removed by SportNZ once their High Performance Services move to the new facility Parakiore Recreation and Sport Centre in early 2023.  SportNZ has offered to gift the facility for the purposes of community recreation and sport instead of demolishing.

The Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board have asked staff to investigate if there is a community group that could make use of the facility for the benefit of the community at no cost to the ratepayer.  If a group could make use of the facility, within a defined range of criteria, then a ground lease application process would occur.  The Community Board would then decide whether to grant a ground lease for the facility and the new use, following a formal consultation with the community.

The Request for Proposal process and early community engagement is being undertaken to determine whether a proposal will be presented to the Community Board for the ground lease application decision.

One of the questions raised at the information session was whether the facility could be allowed to stay on Jellie Park beyond its current purpose and approvals. 

Under the Reserves Act, community groups can occupy or use part of the recreation reserve and/or existing facility on it to deliver recreation and sport, and related services for the community.  This process involves formal consultation with the community.  All organisations and members of the public may provide written submissions on the proposed leasing, and be heard on their submission if they wish, before a decision is made.  

 Issues caused by parking in Chateau Drive and Matisse Place have been highlighted by some residents as a key concern.

• In response, current users of the Apollo Projects Centre have been asked not to park here. We understand this has already resulted in some reduction in traffic and early morning issues in particular.
• It was noted that people parking on these streets may not be Apollo Centre users. As there are currently no parking restrictions, anyone can legally park there.

The Council’s traffic operations team are aware of parking concerns on Chateau Drive and Matisse Place and are currently investigating these. They will report their findings to the community before the end of October 2021.  

A key requirement for prospective groups will be that an Access Management Plan will be developed. This will include Travel Demand Management, jointly monitored by the Council and any successful groups/s, on an ongoing basis. Specific attention will be paid to parking arrangements, requiring corrective action if necessary (a condition of the lease). If parking concerns continue (from any activities in the area), Council’s transport team can work with the community to implement other measures.

In addition, Council’s transport planning team is currently working with the local schools and businesses to encourage active transport options e.g. cycling and walking.

Safety concerns for park users/pedestrians was raised at the information session, particularly vehicles entering the facility.  This has since been built into the lease criteria, asking applicants to identify how they would specifically address this.

A resident asked about the risk to ratepayers if a new group did not meet lease conditions or could not afford to maintain the facility.

• A change to the draft criteria takes into account the requirement for the new group to set aside funds to remove the building at the expiry of the lease and/or end of the facility’s useful life.
• Any potential lease would include conditions around parking, transport management and use, which would be enforceable. 

The facility has a current resource consent, granted in 2019.

The Request for Proposal will include clear criteria that applicants will need to meet.  These criteria are being developed incorporating feedback from the community, requirements of the Reserves Act, the Jellie Park Management Plan, and the resource consent. The three key criteria are around:

• transport management
• financial sustainability
• alignment with strategic priorities and community outcomes

Applicants will need to demonstrate their ability to meet these criteria and manage all potential issues.

Request for Proposal Criteria

Note:

1. The applicants are expected to engage a specialist in the development, and ongoing monitoring and review of Access Management and Travel Demand Management Plans
2. Transport and financial plans will be reviewed by Council
3. Lease conditions will be enforceable following mediation

The Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board has approved the continuation of the Apollo Projects Centre Request For Proposal (RFP) process to see if a community recreation group can meet criteria to take over the high performance facility in Jellie Park.

Recommendations approved by the Community Board on Monday 14 June include a request to staff to identify whether there are ways to address issues raised during community consultation.

The project team is organising an information session to talk about these possible solutions and the next steps.

At: The Apollo Projects Centre in Jellie Park

When: Monday, 12 July at 4.30pm

This update will include a brief presentation and an opportunity for discussions.

 More information about the project is in the staff report(external link) and minutes of the Community Board meeting.(external link)

We consulted the local community on the future of the Apollo Project Centre from 22 April to 13 May 2021.

Of the 26 responses received:

·       11 supported use of the Apollo Centre by a community recreation group

·       Five did not support its use by a community recreation group

·       10 indicated that their view on any future use of the building was dependent on how current issues would be resolved

Those who supported the Apollo Centre’s lease to a community or recreation group referred to various community and sporting uses, including a centre for community groups, youth or elderly people. Two sporting groups commented on their need for facilities.

The main issues raised by those who had concerns about the Apollo’s future use by a community or recreation group were:

1.       Parking-related issues on Chateau Drive and Matisse Place, close to the Apollo Centre

2.       The building, purpose built for High Performance Sport NZ after the 2011 earthquakes, was intended to be temporary

3.       More information was needed on any future users, how current issues would be addressed, and the decision-making process.

Consultation report [PDF, 23 KB](external link)

Submissions [PDF, 31 KB](external link)

Responses to issues and submitters' questions [PDF, 18 KB](external link)

The staff recommendation in the report

Staff recommend that the Waimāero Fendalton-Waimairi-Harewood Community Board:

1.             Approve the completion of the Apollo Projects Centre Request for Proposal (RfP) process.  (This would be the second stage of the RfP process.)

2.             Request staff identify whether there are potential mitigations for the issues raised through the community consultation

Note: The names of organisations and groups that have submitted proposals are not included in the staff report on the first stage of the process. 

Meeting details and decision-making process

A staff report will be presented to the Waimairi-Fendalton Harewood Community Board

Date: 14 June 2021

Time: 4.30pm

Venue: Community Board boardroom, Fendalton Service Centre, corner of Jeffreys Road and

Clyde Road, Fendalton

You can read the meeting agenda, including the staff report and any additional information, from Friday 11 June online at christchurch.infocouncil.biz(external link)(external link).

 Project process and timeframes

Submitters will receive an update on the Community Board’s decision.

If the project proceeds to the second stage of the Request for Proposal process, the project team will organise a meeting for submitters and other affected stakeholders to discuss issues raised and possible ways these could be addressed.

If at the conclusion of the Request for Proposal process staff recommend to the Community Board that a new lease is granted, then further community consultation will occur at that stage prior to any decision being made.  This is a requirement of the Reserves Act.  If this occurs it is likely to be during the fourth quarter of this year.

The existing owner, High Performance Sport New Zealand (HPSNZ), will be moving into Parakiore Recreation and Sports Centre when it opens next to Hagley Park.

The large centre behind the Jellie Park Pool was originally intended to be a temporary building to provide facilities for high performance teams and athletes after the 2011 Canterbury earthquakes. 

Now the Council must decide what should happen to the building and determine whether it could be retained.

We want to find out if the community supports a recreation group using and taking full responsibility for the facility, which includes a full-sized indoor netball court, a strength and conditioning gym, 40-metre running track, showers, offices and meeting spaces.

We’ve just completed an initial Request for Proposal process where we received early submissions from interested community recreation groups. At this stage we can’t name these groups as we’re still considering their applications.

The type of groups that could lease the facility is determined by the Jellie Park Management Plan and Reserves Act 1977 and could include community sports groups such as basketball, netball, gymnastics; cultural groups; accessibility groups; or sports/fitness providers.