Consent has been granted for the first stage in the demolition of the former Cadbury factory to make way for the new Dunedin Hospital.
The successful tenderer for the demolition contract is yet to be announced by the Ministry of Health, but work is scheduled to start later this month.
The winning firm’s first task will be to take down the former distribution warehouse and a cantilevered canopy over the adjacent yard at the northern end of the former Cadbury complex, opposite the Work and Income building in St Andrew St.
The Dunedin City Council has no other demolition consents lodged or pending at the Cadbury site.
‘‘The expected consent for removal of the protected facades on the main Cadbury site at 280 Cumberland St has not been received yet,’’ senior planner John Sule said.
‘‘This consent is likely to be notified.’’
Work was predicted to take 20 weeks, demolition being permitted on Monday to Saturday, between 7.30am and 6pm.
‘‘No works will occur at night, on Sundays or public holidays, unless emergency works are required.’’
The site is bordered by roads designated as state highways, but the non-notified consent contained no specifics of traffic management plans, except that they were to be set out in a demolition management plan to be supplied to the council.
The council accepted an assessment commissioned by the ministry, which said the demolition could be managed in ‘‘an appropriate way’’ to ensure noise and vibration effects were reasonable.
Council environmental health officer Lyn Pope said while the site was in a commercial/mixed use zone, the Victoria Hotel and the Dunedin Fire Station were close, and the Anzac Ave apartments and a University of Otago hall of residence were nearby and would be affected by the work.
‘‘The area already has elevated day time background noise levels attributed to high traffic volumes and the proposal indicates activity outside of day time hours will only occur in emergency situations,’’ she said.
‘‘While the recommended upper noise limits for construction of this time frame should be based on long-term durations, the elevated background noise levels already in the area may warrant less stringent noise limits.’’
Work time limits were close to normal business hours, so sleep disturbance should be minimal, Ms Pope said.
A noise and vibration management plan was to be drawn up before work started, and contractors were advised they should also protect trees in Cumberland St (one) and St Andrew St (four), and one on Castle St from any damage.
