At its February meeting, Waimakariri District Council considered a report on the Rangiora North of High Street Laneway Concept Plan which will create a new public laneway from High Street to additional public parking in the Blake Street block of land.

The laneway will be located between the ASB Bank and the new development taking place at 190 High Street.

Senior Strategy Advisor Heike Downie says the laneway will add further vibrancy to the town centre in a similar way that Good St Lane and Conway Lane have.

“The Rangiora town centre is already an amazing place to spend time, socialise and shop - we hear this from locals and from out-of-towners regularly. Attractive, activated laneways add great appeal and cohesiveness to the Rangiora town centre, by creating unique public spaces away from streets and connecting important places. They also help to evoke a sense of discovery as people travel about the town.”

The new laneway will interface with the adjacent development taking place at 190 High Street by Wenborn Holdings Ltd (WHL) – a two storey building that will house offices on the top floor and retail, hospitality and commercial businesses fronting High Street and the laneway on the ground floor.

In December 2023, the Rangiora Ashley Community Board approved the laneway concept plan, of which Council has now approved the use of existing budgets to implement. Staff have worked closely with adjacent property owners and stakeholders on the final design of the laneway.

Mayor Dan Gordon says the laneway development is one of the many projects that were identified in the Rangiora Town Centre Strategy.

“The ongoing success of the Rangiora Town Centre is vital in ensuring Waimakariri’s economy continues to thrive and meet the needs of our District’s growing population. We want Rangiora Town Centre to keep developing into a vibrant place where people enjoy spending time.

“One way to do this is for the Council to create great public spaces that encourage people to stay, connect, enjoy and shop,” says Mayor Gordon.

“When we adopted the Rangiora Town Centre Strategy we acknowledged the critical role the private sector plays in making the Rangiora town centre thrive. The new laneway, interfacing with a brand new town centre building, is a great example of the Council and the private sector working side-by-side to create new spaces that everyone will enjoy.”

The next steps in the project following the Council approving the use of existing budgets that were set aside in the 2021 – 2031 Long Term Plan to deliver on Rangiora Town Centre projects involve tendering for construction and undertaking the physical works to build the new laneway and parking areas connected to it.

It’s hoped the laneway and new carpark will be open for business around mid-2024.

UPDATE: 14 February

At its February meeting the Rangiora Ashley Community Board named the new North of High Street laneway Hunnibell Lane.

The history / context of the Hunnibell name is: Early local bootmaker Luke Hunnibell owned town centre land from 1870 and a built two-storey shop and dwelling, now ‘Landmarks’ Hunnibell’s building at 257 High St. This is the oldest commercial building in High St, Historic Place Category II.