The Dunedin City Council has granted consent for a new wine distribution hub to operate from one of the city's heritage buildings.
Former Dunedin man Paul Williams applied for consent to establish his new venture, Wine Freedom, inside the 129-year-old NMA building at 49 Water St.
The building, owned by Stephen Macknight, had been refurbished and earthquake-strengthened in the past two years.
Mr Williams wanted to use part of the building as the base for a wine distribution hub, servicing mainly online wine sales expected to account for up to 80% of trading.
The business would also include a boutique retail store, office space and education facility, and employ two full-time and one part-time staff members.
The proposal went against district plan rules, which zoned the Water St building for large-scale retail use, and was referred to Cr Colin Weatherall, acting as a commissioner, to consider.
In his ruling, Cr Weatherall said the key issue was whether allowing the business to establish "out of zone" could undermine district plan rules.
However, he decided to grant consent after accepting the business constituted a "true exception" to district plan rules, as it differed from typical retail activities.
Signage outside the business would not be designed to attract customers from the street, there would be no shop-front display and access would be through a "discreet" entrance, he said.
The business would also make use of an existing, refurbished heritage building, something the council had itself supported, he said.
"The building was designed as a commercial office and was never intended to be used for large-scale retail ... purposes."
Council senior planner Kirstyn Lindsay had also recommended consent be granted, after she, too, concluded no "undesirable precedent" would be set by allowing the business to operate.
