The Howick Local Board is set to finally resolve an ongoing issue involving a Pakuranga United Rugby Club (PURC) plan to offer more activities for the local community by expanding its facilities.
The issue has come before the board several times previously but has been deferred each time, with the board set to vote on it at its business meeting this morning, August 1.
The club is seeking landowner approval and a lease of additional premises at Lloyd Elsmore Park, 2R Bells Road, Pakuranga.
“PURC currently holds a community ground lease for the rugby clubrooms and badminton hall building with a final expiry date of December 31, 2041,” a report provided to the board states.
“PURC proposes to develop the Howick Pakuranga Community Sports Centre (HPCSC) via an extension to the badminton and basketball hall at Lloyd Elsmore Park to meet the demand for indoor court space.
“In 2021, the local board resolved to grant landowner approval and a new community ground lease to PURC to enable a 563m2 extension to the badminton hall to add one new indoor basketball court.
“The approved extension was not carried out and the club now propose a larger extension to the badminton hall requiring an additional area of approximately 3554m2.
“The increase results in a total building footprint of 5,910m2 and will provide greater sport and recreation amenity to the community through the provision of two new full-sized indoor basketball courts plus ancillary spaces.”
The club wants to provide indoor sports courts plus associated facilities including an expanded gymnasium, new change rooms, toilets, storage, and administration rooms at an expanded facility to be named The Howick Pakuranga Community Sports Centre.
The board discussed the progression of the lease of additional premises to the club at a workshop in April this year, the report states.
“PURC has provided all required information including financials, showing it has sufficient funds and it is being managed appropriately.
“The club has all the necessary insurance cover, including public liability insurance, in place.”
No submissions or objections to the publicly notified proposal were received.
Council staff have undertaken iwi engagement on the proposed development and received support from Te Whakakitenga o Waikato Incorporated.
Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki requested further project information and a site visit with staff to provide feedback.
Nine trees need to be removed to facilitate the extension but that would be mitigated through replanting through replanting six pōhutukawa trees outside the building, along with 20-30 trees within Lloyd Elsmore Park.
The report recommends the board grant landowner approval, agreement to lease and lease of additional premises from September 1.
Terms on the lease for additional premises would be aligned with the club’s current community lease agreement with the council, containing one right of renewal beginning January 1, 2032, with final expiry December 31, 2041.
Last year PURC general manager Mike Bongiovanni told the Times about the plans the club had then to expand its footprint and to offer more activities for the local community.
“There’s the rugby club itself and then there’s the gymnasium,” he said about the club’s existing facility.
“The gym is used 11 hours a day 364 days a year, so a couple of years ago we had an idea.
“We thought let’s expand it to put in basketball courts … and more badminton courts.”
The club’s ambition is to expand its gymnasium’s footprint to create space for more sports and it hoped to receive seed money from the council to help make that happen.
“Once we get that, we think we’re 24 to 27 months away from opening.”
