The Lyttelton Master Plan is the result of a close partnership between the Council, Banks Peninsula Community Board, other organisations and the highly motivated and socially connected local community.
An artist's impression of the redeveloped Albion Square.
Lyttelton fulfils an important service centre role for the other communities around Whakaraupō/Lyttelton Harbour.
Lyttelton’s land-based transport links, commercial centre, community facilities, heritage buildings and character were severely affected by the 22 February 2011 earthquake and warranted the preparation of a master plan to guide its recovery and rebuild.
The process to identify stakeholders, key issues, community aspirations and develop the Lyttelton Master Plan began in April 2011. After technical workshops and community consultation, the master plan was endorsed by the Community Board before being adopted by the Council in June 2012.
Vision, goals and actions
The Lyttelton Master Plan contains a strategic vision to transform Lyttelton into a quality place for businesses to operate in, and people to work, live, shop, socialise and play.
The vision is supported by nine goals, which are to be delivered through thirty-one detailed implementation actions. These encourage Council, private sector, community and government-led decision-making to align and move forward together in a logical sequence.
The vision, goals and actions are described in detail in Section 4 of the Lyttelton Master Plan [PDF, 3.3 MB].
Progress on implementation of actions
In the years following the adoption of the Lyttelton Master Plan, actions have been implemented where possible. The context for these continues to change and this has influenced decisions by the Council, other organisations and private individuals.
Progress on implementation of Lyttelton Master Plan actions can be viewed below, under the themes with which each action aligns:
Current projects
Build environment
- (B4) Identify and assist in the retention of remaining built heritage: The private landowner continues work to repair and upgrade the heritage building Kilwinning Lodge at 26 Canterbury St. More information(external link). Having secured funding (including from the Council), the Friends of St Joseph the Worker Memorial Charitable Trust have largely completed constructing the memorial to the former St Joseph’s Church on Winchester Street, the site of which will potentially be redeveloped for housing. The new owner of the British Hotel has funded and largely completed repairing the external brick facade and making it watertight. In March 2023, the Council notified Proposed Christchurch District Plan Change 13, which includes a new Residential Heritage Area for Lyttelton, to collectively protect buildings and features of significance to the city's heritage and identity. It covers most of the residential township but excludes commercial, industrial and port-zoned land. More information(external link).
Community wellbeing, culture and heritage
- (C4) New public amenities in the town centre: The Council is delivering a Lyttelton Information Centre public toilet upgrade, which is expected to open in late April 2023.
- (C6) Naval Point amenity improvements and redevelopment: Following various improvements in support of SailGP (see ‘Completed actions’ below), scoping of the next stage of works has commenced, looking at upgrades to the field, new shared facilities and improvements to marine safety and access. More information(external link).
Economy and Business
- (E1) Support for a Lyttelton marketing and attraction campaign: The Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre has been working alongside the Lyttelton Port Company, Council, Environment Canterbury and other parties to ensure cruise ship passengers have the resources required to visit Lyttelton. Partly due to significant cruise shop visits to Lyttelton (and Akaroa), ChristchurchNZ has started producing a Destination Management Plan for Banks Peninsula, to be completed by July 2023. More information(external link).
Movement
- (M6) Access to and from Lyttelton: Environment Canterbury has completed its service review of Bus Route 28 servicing Lyttelton, resulting in its extension to the airport, Rapaki and Cass Bay; a 2-year trialling of alternating routes via Ara and the Sydenham shops during weekdays and new buses to cater for the increased trip frequency. Environment Canterbury is now working on confirming the final timetable and route for implementation in 2023, while the Council works on associated changes to bus-related infrastructure. More information(external link).
Natural environment
- (N6) Local landscape and heritage interpretation: The Lyttelton Historical Museum Society obtained Resource Consent for its museum rebuild in April 2023, the fund-raising for which has been steady. More information(external link).
Completed actions
Built environment (B)
- (B1) Rebuild and recovery-supportive amendments to the Proposed Banks Peninsula District Plan: The Council made recovery-supportive provisions in the Christchurch District Plan operative in December 2017, including in support of:
- The desired pedestrian linkages through the block bounded by Norwich Quay and Canterbury, London and Oxford Streets.
- Urban design requirements are aimed at improving the pedestrian environment.
- Public events on London Street.
- On-site parking reductions.
- Building design guidance.
- Retention of built heritage.
- (B2) Design and character guidance: The Council included building design guidelines specific to the Lyttelton Commercial Banks Peninsula Zone in the reviewed Christchurch District Plan – see (B1) above. The Council completed the Lyttelton Residential Character Area Design Guide specific to the residential character areas in Lyttelton in 2021.
- (B4) Identify and assist in the retention of remaining built heritage: The Council has refaced retaining walls on Brittan Terrace and at Oxford Street/Exeter Street, Hawkhurst Road/London Street, Coleridge Terrace/Dublin Street and Voelas Road/Simeon Quay junctions since 2012. The Council also restored and lit the Upham Clock Tower Council in 2017. Heritage NZ reinstated the Lyttelton Timeball and flagstaff in 2018, after which it and Te Hapū o Ngāti Wheke and the Whakaraupō Carving Centre installed a pou whenua (the Matariki Pou) there in 2020. The Lyttelton Port Company refurbished The Woolstore in 2018 and reinstalled a small historic lighthouse at the end of the eastern harbour pier close to the new cruise ship terminal, following earthquake repairs to both, in November 2020.
Community wellbeing, culture and heritage (C)
- (C1) Improved utilisation of the Lyttelton Recreation Centre: The Council repaired and reopened the Lyttelton Recreation Centre in February 2017, after which Project Lyttelton renovated the mezzanine area to improve its utilisation in June 2020. The Council enabled the activation and running of the centre by a new community-led trust in October 2021.
- (C3) Combined Lyttelton Library and Service Centre redevelopment: The Council opened a repaired, renovated and combined Lyttelton Library and Service Centre in March 2017.
- (C4) New public amenities in the town centre: The Council included a new public toilet and play equipment in Albion Square in November 2014. See (N1) below. The Council added two unisex toilet stalls to the existing accessible one in 2023.
- (C5) Lyttelton War Memorial Cenotaph relocation investigation and reinstatement: The Council relocated and reinstated the cenotaph in Albion Square – see (N1) below.
- (C6) Naval Point amenity improvements and redevelopment plan: The Council made interim improvements to access and traffic flow within Naval Point and removed remnant piles from a previous marina development in June 2019. It also completed structural repair work to improve the safety of the Magazine Bay Marina and removed remnant pontoon structures on LPC land and adjacent to the recreation grounds in 2020. It completed and adopted the Naval Point – Te Nukutai o Tapoa Development Plan in December 2020. The Council implemented Stage 1, comprising the development of a car park area, coastal revetment works, utility upgrades and re-establishment of a temporary haul out on-site, in 2021. In support of SailGP, the Council completed the car park and other amenities, utility and infrastructural improvements to the site in March 2023, as well as Godley Quay vehicular, cycle and pedestrian access improvements to the facility. These enhancements included two new floating pontoons to improve access to the water for boaters.
- (C8) Performance/film venue: The Ministry of Education and The Loons Theatre Trust opened a dual facility school hall and black-box theatre for the Lyttelton Arts Factory at Lyttelton Primary School in May 2016. The Lyttelton Working Men’s Club repaired and reopened The Loons as a live music and performance venue in March 2021.
Economy and business (E)
- (E2) London St WiFi: The Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre led the installation of WiFi in 2013.
Movement (M)
- (M1) Norwich Quay amenity improvements: NZTA completed an improved pedestrian crossing and bus stop on Norwich Quay in April 2017. The Council provided improved pedestrian connections from Voelas Road and adjacent pedestrian areas to Te Ana Marina and the waterfront in August 2020. The Lyttelton Port Company provided an off-road pedestrian connection from Norwich Quay to Te Ana Marina in 2021.
- (M2) Heads of Agreement to facilitate resolution of Port and inner harbour waterfront access-related issues: The Council, Environment Canterbury, New Zealand Transport Agency, Lyttelton Port Company and KiwiRail signed a Memorandum of Understanding in 2016.
- (M4) London Street public realm enhancements and public event opportunities: Project Lyttelton relocated Lyttelton Farmers’ Market into London Street in 2012, whilst the Council delivered Albion Square and reviewed Christchurch District Plan provisions in support of public event opportunities on London Street. See (N1) below and (B1) above.
- (M5) Parking investigations: The Council completed a Suburban Parking Policy to address suburban parking issues in 2019. Poto Williams (the Associate Minister for Greater Christchurch Regeneration) removed the minimum number of on-site car parks required by the Christchurch District Plan in new developments in Lyttelton’s Commercial Banks Peninsula Zone in December 2019.
- (M6) Access to and from Lyttelton: The Council reopened the Sumner to Lyttelton road corridor to the public in March 2019.
Natural environment (N)
- (N1) A new civic square: The Council opened Albion Square in November 2014.
- (N2) Pool garden off-season access: The Council repaired and reopened the Norman Kirk Memorial Pool in February 2015 and installed a removable fence in May 2018.
- (N4) Head to Head Walkway: The Council signposted every intersection of the Head to Head Walkway through the Lyttelton town centre in 2017.
Ongoing actions
Built environment (B)
- (B3) Local input into design and appearance: The Council established the Lyttelton Design Review Panel in 2017, since which it has provided design guidance.
- (B4) Identify and assist in the retention of remaining built heritage: The Council has and continues to approve various heritage grants since 2012.
Community wellbeing, culture and heritage (C)
- (C2) Investigation for and use of Council property to accommodate community and cultural activities: The Council repaired and reopened the Lyttelton Information Centre in April 2013 and opened the Lyttelton Community Boardroom in September 2016.
- (C7) Art in public places: The Council and community have installed various temporary and permanent artworks since 2012.
- (C9) Emergency preparedness: The Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre led the preparation of, and has regularly reviewed, the Lyttelton Harbour Community Response Plan alongside implementing it, since 2012.
- (C10) Tangata Whenua's relationships, values and aspirations: The Council included cultural references in Albion Square, for example. See (N1) above.
Economy and business (E)
- (E1) Support for a Lyttelton marketing and attraction campaign: The Lyttelton Harbour Information Centre has prepared and promoted various marketing and attraction resources and events, with assistance from ChristchurchNZ, since 2012.
- (E3) Appoint a Lyttelton case manager: The Council has and continues to provide assistance as required since 2012.
- (E4) Investigation for and use of Council property to accommodate business activities: The Council accommodated PO boxes in the Council-owned building at 25 Canterbury St in 2016, for example.
- (E5) Funding options and temporary support: The Council has and continues to provide assistance as required since 2012. Council funding sources include the (former Transitional City) Enliven Places Projects Fund and the Enliven Places Rates Incentive for activating vacant sites.
Natural environment
- (N5) Temporary landscapes: The Council and community have installed various temporary projects since 2012, including the Lyttel People mandala, mosaic chair and nautical pillars which were subsequently incorporated permanently into Albion Square.
- (N6) Local landscape and heritage interpretation: The Council included heritage references in Albion Square, for example. See (N1) above.
Commenced actions
The following Lyttelton Master Plan actions have commenced and/or been completed in part to the extent noted:
Community wellbeing, culture and heritage (C)
- (C4) New public amenities in the town centre: See ‘Current projects’ above.
Movement (M)
- (M4) London Street public realm enhancements and public event opportunities: The Council has yet to fund and commence the longer-term street enhancements anticipated.
- (M6) Access to and from Lyttelton: Environment Canterbury commenced a review of Bus Route 28 servicing Lyttelton in 2021. See ‘Current projects’ above.
Natural environment (N)
- (N6) Local landscape and heritage interpretation: The Lyttelton Historical Museum Society has commenced rebuilding the Lyttelton Historical Museum, assisted by the Council’s gifting of the site in 2017. See 'Current projects' above.
Not yet commenced actions
Community wellbeing, culture and heritage (C)
- (C2) Investigation for and use of Council property to accommodate community and cultural activities: The Council’s Expressions of Interest process confirmed that there is no funding available either from a private developer or through the current Long Term Plan (Council's budget) to restore the buildings on the Council property in Donald Street and fit them out for use by either the community or private enterprises in early 2021. The Council is yet to fund an investigation for their use partially or wholly for an arts precinct.
Discontinued actions
Movement (M)
- (M3) Pedestrian linkages: The Council discontinued this in December 2020, due to the potential legal complications and cost associated with enabling public use of the existing Right of Ways and the cost of providing new public Right of Ways, relative to the funding budgeted. This funding was reallocated to support public toilet upgrades in anticipation of the return of cruise ship passengers to Lyttelton.
Natural environment (N)
- (N3) Rooftop park between, or on a combined, Lyttelton Library and Service Centre: The Council discontinued this in 2014, due to the significant cost implications and the completion of Albion Square, which provides for the free enjoyment of the sun, harbour views and meeting space anticipated by this action.