Churton Park
Churton Park | |
|---|---|
| Country | New Zealand |
| City | Wellington City |
| Electoral ward | Northern Ward |
| Population (2006) | |
• Total | 5,862[1] |
| Tawa | ||
| Ohariu |
  Churton Park  |
Grenada Village |
| Johnsonville |
Churton Park is a suburb 1.5 km north of Johnsonville in Wellington, the capital city of New Zealand. It was established in the 1970s, and as of 2009[update] had a population of 6,260.[2] In the 2013 census, the population of Churton Park and the adjacent community of Glenside was 6528, with 2349 dwellings. The suburb includes over 2300 households, Churton Park Reserve which includes a recreational sports field, two primary schools and a kindergarten. The Churton Park Village includes a supermarket as well as various shops and facilities. Details of these businesses are given below. The Churton Park Community Centre, which is managed and staffed by Wellington City Council, is also located in the Village.
The suburb has an active community residents' association, which meets monthly at the Churton Park Community Centre. Along with general community advocacy it organises the annual free community children's Christmas party, car boot sales and other community activities.
History
Churton Park is one of the youngest suburbs in Wellington and was farmland until 1970.[3] The area of Churton Park near current Lakewood Avenue was originally a swamp[3] and has been recently developed into residential housing and a commercial shopping centre.[4] Since being established, it is one of the fasted growing subdivisions in Wellington, with the population expected to grow to over 12,000 over the next two decades.[5]
Geography
The topography is quite hilly and has regenerating bush in some areas that has not been excavated for housing sub-divisions. Steep hills extend west over to Ohariu Valley. Extensive cut and fill earthworks have been required in the construction of the subdivisions for housing.
Weather
The micro-climate is only slightly different from that of Johnsonville, but is warmer and less windy than Wellington due to its being sheltered the southerly wind from Cook Strait. It rarely snows, but during winter 2011 snowfalls briefly shut down buses and closed roads, causing some students and workers to stay home for a few days.
Shops
Below shops are located in Churton Park village
NewWorld Super market - Visit online @ www.newworld.co.nz/churton-park/
Churton Park Pharmacy - Visit online @ www.churtonparkpharmacy.co.nz/
Churton Park Village Vets - Visit online @ http://www.villagevets.co.nz/
Spices Indian Restaurant - Visit online @
FishnChips Takeaway Shop - Visit online @ https://www.facebook.com/TakeawayChurton/info:
Churton Park Community Centre - Visit online @ www.facebook.com/ChurtonParkCommunityCentre
The Churton Park store dairy is near Churton Drive on Middleton Road.
Land on the corner of Westchester Drive and Lakewood Avenue has been developed into a shopping centre, with a New World supermarket, café, pharmacy, medical centre, hairdresser, vet, real estate agency, fish and chip shop and other food outlets. It is estimated that the shopping centre could employ up to 150 people, either full or part-time, when at maximum capacity.
A garden shop and a cafe are on Middelton Road in Glenside.
Community Association
Churton Park Community Association Inc The Churton Park Community Association (CPCA) was founded back in 1977 as an advocacy group for the residents of the then new suburb of Churton Park. The suburb has grown significantly since this time and the Association continues to be a strong voice for the people of the Churton Park. The objectives of the Association as outlined in our constitution are:-
To provide an Association in which Churton Park residents can combine and work together to establish and further the recreational, social, cultural and service needs for the betterment of the community. To encourage public interest in the Association. To be non-party political and non-sectarian in all its activities and deliberations.
The Community Association is one of the more active residents groups in Wellington. A newsletter, the Churton Park Gazette, is delivered to all houses in Churton Park on a two monthly basis. In recent years the Association has lobbied for new facilities and services in Churton Park. These include the construction of Amesbury School, the construction of the Churton Park Village, the establishment of a Community Centre in the village, and the construction of the Westchester Drive connection. A recent significant project has been lobbying for the improvement of bus services linking Churton Park to the Wellington CBD.
Annual community activities promoted by CPCA include Car Boot sales, Children's Christmas party and a Christmas carol event.
An active Revegetation Group has carried out extensive planting in Wingfield Reserve and Lakewood Reserve.
To get in contact with us phone one of your committee members directly. The contact information is on the CPCA website.
Committee meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month at 7.30pm in the Churton Park Community Centre.
Churton Park Community Centre Facility
Education
School enrollment zones
Churton Park is within the enrollment zones for Onslow College, Newlands College, St Oran's College, Raroa Normal Intermediate Amesbury Skool, and Churton Park School.[6]
Primary schools
Churton Park has two state primary schools that cater for pupils up to Year 6. Churton Park School on Churton Drive is an established school, and the roll has rapidly increased over the years. To accommodate these increases, there were many renovations to the buildings between 1997 and 2007. In 2006, to help manage roll growth, the School Board proposed an amendment to the zoning policy/area. This was heatedly debated in the community as the proposal would have removed several long-standing streets from the Zone. The associated community concern, protest action and lobbying by the Campaign for Local Schooling and parent feedback resulted in the announcement by the Ministry of Education in 2007 that a new, larger, school site would be developed in the area.[7] On 17 March 2009, Minister of Education Anne Tolley announced that a second primary school would be built in the area instead.[8]
Amesbury School on Amesbury Drive opened at the start of 2012. It has over 80 pupils and is growing. The Amesbury Hall at the school was opened in May by Wellington Mayor Celia Wade-Brown. The construction of the hall was funded in part by the proceeds from the sale of part of the school site (which was held as a Reserve) by WCC to the Ministry of Education. The Amesbury Hall is available for community use.
Preschool
There is a little school on Melksham Drive off Westchester Drive and a kindergarten next to Churton Park School.
Mining
There are historic gold mining shafts in the area. Tawa Flats All Luck Gold Mining Company shafts of 1881 included one now buried beneath Erlestoke Crescent.[9][10]
Public Transport
The suburb is serviced by scheduled bus services provided by Mana Coach Services. Route 54 runs on a one way loop through Churton Park to and from Johnsonville Hub,and from there to Wellington Railway Station and Courtenay Place. A separate service along Middleton Road connects Johnsonville to Tawa and Porirua. From 2017 Churton Park is scheduled to be served by two 'there and back' routes from Johnsonville, becoming part of the North/South public transport spine.
References
- ^ "Churton Park introduction and key statistics". Wellington City Council.
- ^ Burgess, Dave (9 June 2009). "New school for 'forgotten suburb'". The Dominion Post. Retrieved 10 December 2009.
- ^ a b Romanos, Joseph (5 April 2013). "The heart of Churton Park". The Wellingtonian. Retrieved 2 February 2015.
- ^ "Churton Park Village".
- ^ "Churton Park directory".
- ^ "eLearning Schools Search".
- ^ "New School for Churton Park".
- ^ "Media Statement from Minister of Education".
- ^ "Glenside community".
- ^ "Wellington's Outer Green Belt Management Plan – April 2004, Wellington City Council" (PDF).