Resource consent has been sought for the establishment of health care service activity within an existing residential building. The healthcare service is described in the application as a Chinese Medical Clinic providing physiotherapy and acupuncture treatment. The clinic will provide for a maximum of one full time equivalent (FTE) consultant.

Customers will be required to book appointment in advance as the clinic will not accommodate ‘drop ins’. There will be a maximum of two customers at any one time and a treatment will typically take 0.5-1 hour for each customer. The clinic will operate between the hours of 8:00am to 6:00pm from Monday to Friday and 8:00am to 12:00pm on Saturday.

The proposed floor plan shows one consultation room, one treatment room one physiotherapy room, a reception and a waiting area. As noted by the Applicant, the waiting area is for clients who bring their support person or family or their kids along with them.

The scale and nature of the health care service is considered appropriate in terms of maintaining the character and amenity of the site and the surrounding environment. The conditions of consent relating to hours of operation and occupancy will ensure that this outcome is achieved. The advertising sign is of a size that will not appear intrusive from a visual amenity point of view or result in distraction or confusion for road users. In addition, the sign will be placed such that sightlines are not adversely affected for drivers leaving the property.

While the proposal infringes standards relating to car parking and loading space requirements and proximity of vehicle crossing to intersection, the safety and efficiency of the wider road network will not be adversely affected. The roading network in the area has sufficient capacity to absorb the increased traffic movements that will be generated by the proposal without resulting in congestion or traffic hazards in the area. Council’s Strategic Development Unit have reviewed the proposal in regard to the proposed transportation arrangements and do not anticipate the proposal to result in adverse effects on the safety and efficiency of the transport network including pedestrians.