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Concerns have been raised about planned road changes on Mansel Drive that will significantly increase traffic past the Summerset Falls retirement village.
Resident Glyn Williams told a Warkworth Area Liaison Group meeting last month that there were plans for two signalised intersections – one where Mansel Drive meets Woodcocks Road and the other where it connects to Falls Road.
He said the changes were part of providing a transport link to the Stubbs Farm development (MM, Feb 25, 2023) on Warkworth’s north-western boundary and that construction of the intersection at the Falls Road end had started.
Williams said the scale of Stubbs Farm would generate significant traffic as the development progressed, which would adversely affect the retirement village.
“Stubbs Farm has 1600 properties, and that’s all going to be developed from the south end. All of the development traffic, the contractors, everyone will enter that subdivision via the Falls Road intersection,” he said.
He said the retirement village’s access onto Mansel Drive heightened concern about future traffic volume.
“What we have at Summerset is a single entrance and exit point, and it’s expected that Mansel Drive will ultimately carry around 22,000 vehicles a day (as per the Warkworth Integrated Transport Assessment). It’s ridiculous.”
Williams said Auckland Transport’s (AT) planning decisions were proceeding without baseline traffic measurements.
“Mansel Drive is the only major road in Warkworth that hasn’t had a traffic count done. How the heck can they plan for that to happen not knowing what the existing traffic flow is?”
Williams said affected residents at the retirement village, as well as businesses in the area, were largely unaware of the project and that earlier planning submissions had not resulted in ongoing consultation.
“Summerset made a submission, but as far as I know, they haven’t been consulted by AT about all the development that’s going on.”
Williams said he had contacted AT and the contractor Traffica, but didn’t receive a response.
“My concern is nobody knows about it. At this stage, we can’t really do anything about it. The impact on us will be massive.”
An AT spokesperson said Plan Change 25 (to the Auckland Unitary Plan) had rezoned the Warkworth North and Stubbs Farm land for redevelopment.
“The Warkworth North precinct land is now live zoned as business and residential under the Unitary Plan and growth is anticipated here. The precinct plan includes the roading network.
“The plan change would have considered the traffic movements expected. The Western Link Road is to run north to south through the site and to tie in at the Mansel Drive/Falls Road intersection (this is currently a T intersection).
“Part of the Western Link Road is designated, but where it runs through the precinct, the developer will deliver the road.
“The developer currently holds resource consents to undertake earthworks on the Stubbs Farm property, adjoining Falls Road. Further applications for additional works are currently in process, including one for the upgrading of the Falls Road/Mansel Drive intersection.
“Council appointed specialists, including traffic engineers, to review the developer’s proposals and impose consent conditions to mitigate actual and potential adverse effects.”
