Cold homes, lack of sunlight and increased power bills are some of the concerns residents living near the Tauranga Hospital have, if the proposed removal of height restrictions goes ahead.

The Ministry of Health, working with Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty, formerly the Bay of Plenty District Health Board, has applied to Tauranga City Council to remove the height restrictions on the current hospital site.

The alteration of designation conditions would enable buildings higher than the current restriction of eight storeys or 27 metres.

The ministry has also requested to change the hospital's conditions for on-site car parking and to alter its design rules.

The change was to enable the hospital to cater for a growing population and mitigate seismic risks.

Western Bay of Plenty's population is 200,000 by 2048 this was expected to grow to 270,000 and be approximately 400,000 by 2120.

The hospital campus runs along Cameron Road between 17^th Avenue and 21^st Avenue.

The current restrictions are broken down into four areas of differing heights: Area A – the main existing hospital area and car park at 27m, Area B - the main Clarke St and 21st Ave area at 9m, Area C - the area near Clarke St and 17th Ave at 9m, and Area D - the area near 21st Ave and Cameron Rd at 15m.

Jennifer Slade's son Russell lives in one of the affected homes on 21^st Ave and she told Local Democracy Reporting the changes 'affect a lot of people” in the surrounding area.

'The shading would cover them for a good part of the morning, especially in the winter, autumn time and early springtime,” says Jennifer.

'Our concerns were that the houses would be colder… their power bills would be higher, the houses would not be as warm as they should be.”

She says Russell lives in an Accessible Properties home and it did not have double glazing.

'Russell wouldn't get any sun until probably, in the wintertime, around to one o'clock in the afternoon for about three or four hours and then the sun goes down quite quickly.

'It will affect their sunlight and it will affect their vision of the sky as well,” she says.

A sun and shade study completed as part of the hospital's planning documents show buildings on the 21^st Ave boundary would receive around five hours of afternoon sun in midwinter, if the building height was 27m and set back 20m from the boundary.

Along Cameron Road buildings opposite the hospital would receive around 5 hours of morning sun in midwinter.

Jennifer is one of three people who made a submission about the proposed changes, with two opposed and one in support.

A graphic showing the current height restrictions. Image: Beca.

In response to the submissions Hauora a Toi asked their engineering consultant Beca to increase the building setback for the 21st Ave boundary from 2m to 6m, something Jennifer is 'grateful” for.

She says the technical director at Beca Keith Frentz had been 'empathetic and considerate” to her and Russell's feelings about the plans during their meetings.

'We feel a little bit happier that they are taking the buildings six metres away from his boundary … and there is lesser height buildings.”

Jennifer says the hospital buildings were the 'the lesser of the two evils” because if it– were high density housing or apartments it might not have the same height restriction or setback.

Jennifer and her son Russell made submissions at a hearing before independent hearings commissioner Rob van Voorthuysen on Monday.

Local Democracy Reporting asked Hauora a Toi it's thoughts on the submitters concerns about shading.
In response, Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty development and commercial services executive director Jeffrey Hodson said: 'We acknowledge this issue, raised by our neighbours living next to the hospital site, and will keep this in our considerations around any future developments”.
'Both submitters acknowledged at the hearing that representatives from Te Whatu Ora Hauora a Toi Bay of Plenty had met with them and listened to their concerns.”

Hauora a Toi sent 239 notices to people it considered to be affected by the potential build.

Tauranga Hospital provides for 92 per cent of inpatient care within its catchment said Hodson, in his written submission to council on behalf of the Minister of Health.

Hodson says only highly specialised services are provided outside of the region primarily at Waikato Hospital. Tauranga Hospital also 'directly supports” Whakatāne Hospital Lakes and Tairāwhiti Hauora.

'Maintaining this level of service for the future population translates into an increased need for 214 inpatient beds in the period from 2019 – 2044,” he says.

This equates to an additional ward every 2 – 3 years, mainly in service delivery for medical and surgery patients and older person's health, as well as three new operating theatres now, says Hodson.

The Tauranga Hospital campus has been assessed as having seven earthquake-prone buildings, including the clinical services block, that need to be upgraded and strengthened or evacuated and replaced within the next 12 years.

The affected buildings included the main parts of the hospital that provided core acute services such as wards, operating theatres and the emergency department.

Hodson says it was Hauora a Toi's view that remediation of the buildings was not a 'cost effective solution” because the structural upgrades would require the buildings to be vacated and an alternative provided.

'New accommodation must be provided before these buildings can be vacated.”

Hauora a Toi is also investigating a possible greenfield site at the Tauranga Racecourse reserve. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

'The proposed changes to the designation are essential to enable HTBOP to continue to provide for the growth of the patient population within its catchment as well as ensuring earthquake-safe buildings for staff and patients, as needed to permit the construction of new hospital buildings by 2034,” Hodson concluded.

Building designs have not been completed but the budget is said to be around $1 billion with construction needing to begin by 2028 at the latest.

Hauora a Toi was also investigating a possible greenfield site at the Tauranga Racecourse reserve in Greerton for health services.

This was the council's preferred option in the Greerton Maarawaewae study, that sought to plan for the future of the 85 hectares of crown land that is leased by Racing Tauranga and Tauranga Golf Club.

Consultation on three options for the site finished on August 29 and feedback is expected to be heard in November.

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