PLANNING OF AIRPORT

Press, Volume XCVIII, Issue 28792, 13 January 1959, Page 8

PLANNING OF AIRPORT

Land Zoning Talks

A conference of local body and Government department representatives will be held in Christchurch next week to discuss the zoning of land in and about the airport.

Detailed decisions from the conference are not expected but a decision in principle is expected to be made on whether the airport manager or an American consultant should be given the task of the airport’s “functional planning.” The conference, to be held on January 22, is considered to be in the nature of a preliminary meeting. It is possible that a subcommittee wiU be set up to go further into zoning problems. .The chairman of the airport committee of the Christchurch

City Council (Cr. A. R. Guthrey) said yesterday that there “might be a claim on an area of land between the city and the airport for zoning for industry dependent on air freighting.” Among those attending the conference will be the director of Civil Aviation (Sir Arthur Nevill) and members of the administration’s executive staff including the regional superintendent (Mr P. E. Hudson), the airport manager (Mr A. I. R. Jamieson), the Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Feast), the City Engineer (Mr E. Somers), Cr. Guthrey, and representatives of the Waimairi and Paparua County Councils. Planning Officer

The Christchurch regional planning officer. Miss Nancy Northcroft, has been asked to attend the conference to advise on matters connected with zoning that will be on the agenda. Cr. Guthrey said one of the foremost purposes of the conference would be tp protect the airport by a master zoning plan which would prevent encroachment on the aerodrome perimeter land by close subdivision of properties in the future. Also to be considered would be zoning within the airport for the location of engineering plant and equipment, the placement of hangars and freight depots and garaging services for vehicles using the airport, and any other facilities and services on the site. “We will be catering for all classes of commerce and industry connected directly- or indirectly with aviation at the airport,” he said. Consider Proposals Cr. Guthrey said that the conference would consider proposals put last year by the American aviation consultant (Mr L. Fisher) for management, zoning and functional planning of the airport. “We may engage his services in the question of functional planning, which is rather complex,” he said. Cr. Guthrey said that this would only be done if the airport manager did not have the time and opportunity to do the work himself. Mr Jamieson had the knowledge and experience for the functional planning, but his primary responsibility was management and it might be more expedient to engage Mr Fisher. Cr. Guthrey said that as far as he was concerned the conference was an open one if that met with the approval of Sir Arthur Nevill. In his opinion the conference should be open and he would prefer it that way.