Building consent values in Tauranga City have reached record heights, with more than $170million issued in the first four months of 2015.

Priority One figures show building consents issued by both Tauranga City Council and Western Bay of Plenty District Council, from January to April, were the highest total for this period since Priority One began its recordings in 2004.

$41.6m in building consents was issued in Tauranga during April. Photo: File.

So far this year, Tauranga City Council has approved $170.9m worth of building consents and Western BOP $34.5m – a total of $214.9m.

TCC's previous high was $145.5m in 2014 while Western Bay issued $55.9m in 2007 and $48.7m in 2008. The previous high was $189.5m back in 2005.

In April alone Tauranga's total value was $41.6m, slightly less than March's $41.7m but ahead of the $34.8m in consents issued in April 2014.

The number of consents issued dropped considerably from 180 to 138, also below the 161 issued in March a year ago.

But the value of residential and commercial building consents in April was up by more than $6m on the same time last year, with the largest commercial consent being valued at $8.7 million for a new bulk storage warehouse in Hewletts Road, Mount Maunganui.

Commercial consents were valued at $14.9m - well up on March's $9.5m and just ahead of the $13.2m issued in April last year.

Along with the storage warehouse eclipsing the $1m mark was stage one of a medical centre at Golden Sands Drive, Papamoa ($2m), a warehouse at Tauriko Business Estate ($1.4m) and seven workshops with office facilities at Tauriko Business Estate ($1.1m).

The Western Bay of Plenty's total value reached $11.4m, up on March's $9.2m and the $7.4m recorded in April 2014.

Consents issued also rose from 77 to 99, but is below the two-year high of 102 consents recorded in October 2014.

Single dwelling consents were valued at $5.6m, slightly less than last month's $6.1m but slightly more than the $5.2m single dwelling consents issued in April 2014.

However, commercial consents was the big mover, jumping from $922,000 to $4m between March and April.