Community feedback is being sought on proposed options for the future of the BP Meats site, which has divided the Akaroa community.

The site at 67 and 67a Rue Lavaud, in Akaroa’s northern commercial area, includes the Akaroa Butchery, Deli and Pantry and the mostly vacant land behind it.

It is the last piece of undeveloped flat land in Akaroa and has been the subject of council consultation since October 2024, prompting mixed views over its future.

City council head of facilities and property Bruce Rendall said the options had evolved over time in response to feedback from the community and Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Community Board.

“There is a range of uses up for consideration and we are encouraging the community to provide feedback on each option. The feedback received will help inform future decisions by the community board and council regarding the site’s future use,” he said.

Bay Harbour News reported last week that Akaroa homeowner Linda Sunderland is hosting her own community meeting about the site, focusing on its historical significance, which she said the city council has overlooked.

She wants the land retained until there is a clear community need for it, potentially for civil defence or to relocate emergency services as sea levels rise.

All the options include provision for a stormwater device, further investigation into refurbishing the butchery building, and a tidy-up and improved maintenance of vacant areas.

Three options involve temporary measures. One would simply tidy up the existing building and vacant areas.

Another would involve managed retention, with a temporary outdoor community space and either a car park or housing.

The other two options involve residential development with a small-scale commercial component, or solely commercial use.

“A full roof replacement was completed on the butchery building last month (August). The extent of future work will be subject to the outcome of an independent building assessment, discussions with tenants, funding availability and a decision around the ownership of the building,” Rendall said.

“The annex, which was added to the main butchery building a significant period after it was first constructed, has been excluded from repair work as removal is being considered as part of consultation.”

The site has been approved as the location of a new stormwater treatment device after being identified in the Te Pātaka o Rākaihautū Banks Peninsula Settlements Stormwater Management Plan 2025.

Rendall said the options were conceptual and intended to help the community visualise and understand the opportunities and constraints associated with different land uses.

There is no funding set aside to implement the community board’s eventual preferred option. Any future investment would be subject to funding decisions through a future Long Term Plan process.

The public has until October 18 to make a submission. The community board will determine the future use of the land at its December 7 meeting.

• Last week, Bay Harbour News used the headline, ‘Community pushback over Akaroa land sale’.  This was misleading as it could have given the impression the city council has already decided to sell the BP Meats site. No decision has been made on the site’s future.