The following information is a summary of Glenside character. Most of this material was provided to Wellington City Council in 2004 by residents seeking inclusion of Glenside as a 'place of special character' in the City Council Rural Design Guide.
The residents asked Wellington City Council to:
Separate rural Glenside from urban Churton Park.
Identify Glenside as an important historic area.
Identify Glenside as having significant ecology.
Protect Glenside’s rural amenity and character.
Landscape features
Springs and natural waterways.
Distinctive visual landscape of Marshall Ridge.
Folds of hills filled with living streams and valleys of bush.
Uncontrived. Very little disturbance to the natural landscape.
Regenerating bush landscapes overtaking pasture. Forestry at northern end.
A glen or valley flanking the Porirua stream opening up into sunny east facing hills.
Settlement features of the landscape
Roading generally not kerbed or channelled.
Mainly undisturbed rural heritage from early settler days.
Access to properties is contained by the railway, the Porirua Stream and Middleton Road.
A chain of heritage buildings dating prior to 1900 feature along the eastern side of the valley.
Rural properties are named after the landscape - Waitakaro, Pukepuke, Glenrise, Ivy Bank Farm.
Road names depict the history and landscape of the area and are not streets - Richmond Hill, Middleton Road, Stebbings Road, Rowells Road, Glenside Road.
Housing is clustered in intimate small settlements or isolated from neighbours by folds of hills and planting.
Qualities valued by the community
Glow worms.
Amazing views at every turn.
Significant ecological corridor.
Significant areas of native bush.
Good neighbours and community spirit.
Moonlight, little street-lighting. Dark at night.
The sound of water trickling and able to see the water.
Rustic places. Long waving grasses. Old wood lying about.
Sounds of rural activity such as horses, sheep, and chooks.
Heritage, such as abandoned farm gardens and original farm buildings.
Bush and bird life. The visibility of kereru. The sound of the moreporks.
Permission given by neighbours to access properties to ride horses and walk places.
Threats
Lack of recognition of Glenside heritage, ecology and rural amenity values by authorities.
Urban style of development is the greatest threat.
Private Plan changes to rural-zoned land.
Glenside was not included as a place of special character in the 2004 Rural Design Guide.