A development which will turn Cromwell's sole holiday park into a subdivision has been approved.
The Central Otago District Council yesterday announced the Cromwell Top 10 Holiday Park on Alpha St could be redeveloped as a subdivision.
The decision was announced by commissioners Andrew Henderson and John Lane.
Early last year, the holiday park was listed for sale but did not sell and was taken off the market.
The owners decided to apply to create a subdivision.
The land is owned by CHP Developments Ltd, a company run by the owners of the holiday park.
The 13ha Alpha St site would contain 173 residential sections sized between 250sq m and 2055sq m.
The subdivision was opposed by the council's planning consultant, David Whitney, at a hearings panel in November.
He said the proposed subdivision was a ''full-on residential subdivision development'' that did not fit with the rules of the rural resource area in which the holiday park sat.
He said the site was ''not a residential environment in any way'' and a district plan change would be the best way to address the complexities of the issue.
But the lawyer for CHP Developments, Bridget Irving, said at the hearing the proposal did not ''irreconcilably clash'' with the district plan.
''Essentially, the site does not represent a part of the zone that is demonstrative of rural landscape and character values that the plan seeks to maintain.''
In the decision report, the commissioners agreed with Mrs Irving.
''We have concluded that adverse effects of the activity on the environment in terms of open space, landscape, natural character and amenity values will not be more than minor and can be addressed through conditions of consent,'' the report said.
The project would be completed in stages over 10 years.
The owners of the holiday park, Richard Wallis, Catherine Wood and John and Kay Searle, were unavailable for comment yesterday. Holiday park staff said they were on holiday.
