• Home
• Executive Summary
• Introduction
• The Journey
• The Vision
  • Vision Statement & Area Defined
  • Values and Themes
  • Draft Concept Plan
  • Visuals
  • Draft Aerial Oblique View
  • General Commercial Influence on the Town Centre
  • Relation to other Council Work & Key Questions
• Implementation
• Governance

The Vision

General Commercial Influence on the Town

In today’s competitive commercial environment, town centres need to be proactive if they wish to succeed in attracting a wide range of diverse visitors, potential retail consumers and business. Visitors and shopper preferences change over time and the development of other retail opportunities in outer locations emphasises the need for town centres to have a point of difference by creating a vibrant and appealing environment with activities that anchor the CBD.

Whakatane is fortunate in having a large number of intrinsic features that have instant appeal and provide numerous ‘raw materials’ for urban designers to work with. These features include the natural landscape, the river front, the seaside amenity, the escarpment, the climate, the northerly aspect and the proximity to attractive beach locations.

The Council is in an opportune position to provide for the planned Arts and Culture facility (Museum/Library) in a way that can be integrated with the town centre and accelerate retail opportunities by creating links and spaces that promote activity.

The attractiveness of the town centre will be enhanced through the measures and themes promoted by the draft Town Vision plan. The draft maximises opportunities using the Council extensive landholdings with only a small number of acquisitions of private land being potentially required for public works.

If the draft concept plan is adopted in its current form the Council may need to acquire a number of properties in areas where the plan provides for a public use (eg roading) and there are private property interests. The options for acquiring will vary depending on the circumstances of individual property owners. Consultation will be assisted by early discussions with affected parties, clear decision making time frames and processes.

It is considered that the Town Vision principles will effectively contribute to the Town Centre being an attractive destination for visitors and residents in the future. It is considered that the retail community and the public at large will benefit from the combined effect of the measures proposed in the draft concept plans and that the plan makes good strategic use of Council’s land ownership.