River Terrace Developments is seeking to overturn a decision that stymied its Cromwell subdivision while seeking to forge ahead with resource consent.
On Monday, the company filed an 11th hour Environment Court appeal relating to a independent commissioners decision rejecting its subdivision plan.
Today, the company is the subject of another commissioner hearing regarding resource consent.
The Central Otago District Council was one of 410 submitters against plan change 13 at a commissioner hearing in June and July.
The plan change would allow almost 50ha of land to be rezoned for intensive development including 840 residential sections.
A statement attributed to Chris Meehan, chief executive of River Terrace Development’s parent company, Winton, pointed the finger at the council yesterday.
The statement says River Terrace Developments "has appealed Central Otago District Council’s decision to decline plan change 13".
Mr Meehan says: "Cromwell desperately needs more quality and affordable housing, a view shared publicly by the Southern District Health Board and the local mayor, Tim Cadogan.
"Plan change 13 is the only practical opportunity in the short and medium term to build significantly more high quality and affordable housing in Cromwell."
He continues: "The council’s alternative proposal included in the Cromwell spatial plan to convert the Cromwell Golf Course into many hundreds of affordable houses, is simply fanciful and will never happen.
"Along with other outlined initiatives, no progress has been made, and therefore the council is no closer to solving Cromwell’s housing supply crisis."
Mr Meehan says the proposed plan change would alleviate that.
A Winton spokeswoman said Mr Meehan would make no further comment to the statement.
Council planning manager David Campbell said the appeal was against the independent commissioners’ decision, on behalf of the council and it had been served notice of the appeal.
"Council planning and legal advisers have yet to analyse the appeal and the council will be working through this in the coming weeks."
However, the council committed to defending the decision and would follow the Environment Court appeal process, he said.
Despite being mentioned by Mr Meehan, Mr Cadogan declined to comment as the matter was before the courts.
