Eden Park Trust Board’s resource consent application to develop Eden Park for Rugby World Cup 2011 and beyond remains firmly on track, after Auckland City announced that submissions were approximately two to one in favour of the proposed redevelopment.

The council today announced that it had received 470 submissions and a preliminary breakdown shows just over 300 in support, while around 160 registered their opposition to the proposal.

Eden Park Trust Board Chief Executive John Alexander said that this was the culmination of a long period of community consultation and intensive design work.

“Achieving resource consent on a project of this scale necessarily takes time in building community trust and listening to the views held over a period of years.”

“It has taken 10 months of intensive work to develop a design our planners and expert consultants tell us is consentable. We have incorporated the community’s views into that process where possible.

“Our consultation included a broad range of stakeholders, including local iwi, businesses and our neighbours.

“The process has been thorough; we’ve taken the time needed to get the design right.”

The Trust Board had previously identified shading as a potential issue for some of the properties close to the Park, and is working through this with affected residents and attempting to refine the design to lower the height of the stands.

“Our consultation does not stop now that the submission period has closed. We will continue to work closely with local residents and all of our stakeholders to ensure we develop a world-class stadium that the community, region and nation will be proud of in 2011.”

Alexander said the redevelopment will offer the local community significant benefits over the status quo.

“The redevelopment will revitalise the local community. The design is themed around ‘bringing the park into the Park’ and includes landscaped green areas and plazas for the community to use and enjoy.”

“The proposal will see us better able to contain effects within the stadium, including light, noise and pedestrians.  In addition, we will have an integrated transport system that will move close to 40,000 people to and from Eden Park by public transport by 2011.”

A resource consent hearing with Auckland City Council is tentatively scheduled for mid-November. The first step towards redeveloping the Park in time for Rugby World Cup 2011 begins with the extension of the ASB Stand, which is already consented and funded.  Demolition of the existing Panasonic Stand will start later this year.