TRAFFIC PLAN FOR ROAD IN PARK

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30062, 21 February 1963, Page 14

TRAFFIC PLAN FOR ROAD IN PARK

Council Asks Authority To Reconsider

The Christchurch City Council, at a special meeting last evening, resolved without dissent that the Regional Planning Authority be requested to reconsider its master traffic plan in relation to Hagley Parte. The council, with Cr. G. D. Griffiths the only dissentient, also resolved that the authority be requested to reconsider the plan in relation to Latimer square.

The master traffic plan as at present outlined in principle only envisages a motorway across a portion of Hagley Park and a road through Latimer square.

After a two-hour dtecussion it was clear that all the councillors and the Mayor (Mr G. Manning) were against the plan’s proposal of a Fendalton-Avonside motorway from Salisbury street across the park to near the Fendalton road Bridge. Many of the councillors and the Mayer, however, indicated that an alternative route near Harper avenue but using as little of the park as possible, could be acceptable to them. Ors. R. M. Macfarlane, N, G. Pickering, A. E. Armstrong, H. E. Denton, P. J. Skellerup and M. B. Howard made it dear that their unalterable policy was “hands off the park.” Cr. H. G. Hay, said he supported Cr. Macfariane’s motion for reconsideration,

but he would not object to a road, properly landscaped, across the park. He thought such a road would be made and accepted as an amenity to the park sometime in the future.

The councillors all indicated that they were in favour of the basic concepts of the master traffic plan by adopting, without dissent, the report of the Qty Engineer (Mir E. Somers) wJ the plan.

Cr. A. Schumacher was the only councillor not present. The council adopted the City Engineer’s report, received submissions from the City Planning Study Group, and resolved that the submissions be referred to the authority, and received objections from four bodies to the suggested Avonside-Fen-dalton motorway. It was also resolved that the next time the council discussed the master traffic plan a deputation from the City Planning Study Group should be invited to attend the meeting. Present at the meeting by invitation of the council were the chairman of the Regional Planning Authority (Mr E. J. Bradshaw) the Director of Planning (Mr C. B. Millar) and the Regional Planning Officer (Mr D. J. Edmondson) Cost To Date Invited to address the meeting, Mr Bradshaw said the cost of the master traffic plan to date was £29,252. Of this, £25,000 had been spent from the authority’s levies. The preparation of the plan to its present outline stage represented three and a half years of painstaking study and work. “As I have stated before on many occasions, it is only an outline plan, so please don’t get bogged down In Hagley Park or in Latimer square in your discussions tonight. The plan just states that an outlet must be found to circumvent the bottlenecks of North Hagley Park and of Latimer square. Where these roads will go, their exact location and type, is a matter of detailed design planning which has yet to be done.’ Mr Bradshaw said. The proposed route tor the Avonside-Fendalton motorway was not fixed in any way It was only indicated that a motorway was required in the vicinity. It was now thought that much greater use could be made of Harper avenue than at first had been considered possible. The Mayor (Mr G. Manning): Hear! Hear! Mr Bradshaw: I would only hope myself that this would be possible Mr Bradshaw said that in the same way Latimer square made a blockage to traffic north and south along Madras street. On the present density of traffic, motorists accepted that they must go round Latimer square or, at present, that they had other roads available to them.

In 1980, with two and a half to three times the present density of traffic the blockage represented by Latimer square would become intolerable.

He said that redesigning of Latimer square with a road down the middle could add more 'and to the square, make it much more effective and much more attractive than it was today “Reduce Accidents” Cr. A. R. Guthrey said the council would probably adopt the master traffic plan as outlined in principle by the authority except for the Fen-daltoii-Avonside motorway proposal. “This plan will reduce by one-third the road accident rate in Christchurch and will eliminate the increasingly higgledly-piggledly method of transport already becoming apparent” Cr. W. P. Glue supported Cr. Guthrey*s view. He objected strongly to any suggestion that the council should not consider at length the implications in the authority’s plan that a road would go through Hagley Park and through Latimer square. Cr. Macfarlane said.

“Public representations have been made to us on these points. The council must be convinced that the

people will not accept interference with Hagley Park.” “If we adopt this plan in principle it appears that we are going to acquiesce if the authority changes its mind and goes ahead with its plan for a road through the park,” Cr. Macfarlane said. Cr. P. J. Skellerup: I am on the pioneers* side in this. The park must be kept whole. I am thumping the table on this point. The Mayor: A point of order. You are ruled out of order.

The report of Mr Somers on the master plan suggested that the authority re-examine every alternative to the Fendalton-Avonside motorway, said Cr. H. P. Smith. Burden Of Cost “I am sure that there is nobody in this room, including Mr Bradshaw and the authority’s officers, who would want any desecration whatsoever of Hagley Park. On the other hand, it is no use us sitting here saying ‘hands off the park, full stop’,” Cr. Smith said. Cr. M. B. Howard: That’s right.

Cr. Smith: That’s wrong. “It is wrong, because we cannot be just destructive of the principles in this plan. We must make constructive suggestions,” Cr. Smith added. He would lE'"’ to comment that the capital cost of the authority’s plan had been rather glossed over, said Cr. Hay. The cost to the ratepayers should be explained in more detail.

“It seems that a disproportionate burden of the cost of the scheme would be borne by the city ratepayers when the plan was for the whole of -the metropolitan area and for the benefit of Canterbury. The authority should -give consideration to a more widespread and equitable distribution of the burden of paying for the scheme,” Cr. Hay said. Cr. Macfarlane moved that the Regional Planning Authority be requested by the council to reconsider its master traffic plan in relation to Hagley Park Cr Armstrong seconded the motion.

Cr. H. E. Denton said the whole of Christchurch was against putting a road through file park and expected the council to give a lead. Councillors would be failing in their duty if they decided not to give their views.

The Mayor said that as far as he could see the plan proposed a route through the park. He was not in favour of this but thought that straightening of the curve towards Carlton Mill bridge could make Harper avenue an alternative.

Cr. Smith said that Hagley Park was dear to all—that was common ground in

Christchurch. He was in favour of the authority reconsidering its proposals for a motorway through the park “Amazed” Cr Skellerup: 1 am amazed at some of the things I have heard here tonight. One of them is the cost of £29,000 so far for the authority’s plan. In my opinion, there is not 29 bobs’ worth in them.

“Surely the cult of the motor-car is not so strong that we carve through our oddest and most-beloved reserve,” he continued. “You can’t land an aeroplane in the city; you have to go out to Harewood. Surely the car should be restricted from certain places.” The authority should do everything within its powers in efforts not to touch Hagley Park said Cr. Pickering. “Hands off the Park.” Although he supported Cr. Macfariane’s motion, said Cr Hay, he would not dismiss the idea of a road through the park He said there had probably been an outcry when the road past the hospital went through the park. He would not object to a road from the Riccarton gates to Armagh street provided it was properly landscaped. In fact, he thought a road was dedicated along that route. “Intelligent use of reading in our parks would be restful; beautiful drives and real amenities would enhance the parks.

“I am opposed to the route proposed in the plan because it Would be depriving the city of playing fields,’’ Cr. Hay said. Cr. Hay talked as he did, perhaps, because of his youth, said Cr. Howard. She was against any encroachment on the park whatsoever —it would spoil its beautiful purpose in the city. Ore Guthrey, Smith and Pickering then said that any further discussion was a waste of time. AU councillors were agreed that file authority should find an alternative to putting the FendaltonAvonside motorway across the park. Cr. Macfariane’s motion concerning the park was then carried. Speaking to his motion that the authority reconsider the plan in relation to Latimer

square, Or Maefartane said that the town planning expert called in to advise about the town ball site (Professor Gordon Stephenson) had said that Christchurch squares should be reserved for posterity as far as passible. A road through the square, north and south, with other roads merely as access ways —commercial and residential —would make the square into two quiet prednts, said Or Griffiths. He said that Latimer square if left as it was, would tend to became a speedway roundabout. Cr. Skellerup said he saw no reason why a road should go through the square. If the corners were widened a little by the roads board it would be satisfactory. Seconding Cr. Macfarlane’s motion, Cr. Pickering said he disagreed with Cr. Griffiths. Surely the planning experts and engineers could devise means to preserve the parks and squares which the people wanted to be kept free and dear. [Objections and engineer’s report on page 8. J