REMODELLING THE SQUARE

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30126, 9 May 1963, Page 14

REMODELLING THE SQUARE

Work On First Stage Of Plan To Start Soon

Work on the first stage of remodelling Cathedral square, estimated to cost £BO,OOO, will commence in three to four months. Detailed planning of the first stage will begin immediately, and it is expected that work on this stage will take 18 months to two years.

Alterations to the Square were approved by the City Council’s works committee yesterday. Approval in principle to the second stage was also given and it is expected that work on this will begin as soon as the first stage is finished.

The modified design which will result from the first stage will give the Square the appearance of a giant roundabout, with the Cathedral as the centre-piece. No traffic will be allowed to travel dl ectly through the Square, but bus services and taxi stands will be retained at islands around the sides. There will be no facilities for the parking of private motor cars, although stopping space for up to five minutes will be provided behind the islands. Through Roads Two-lane through. roads will be provided around the circumference, with a third lane for traffic entering or leaving the Square at the four intersections. Pedestrian traffic will be allowed across the middle part, and a footway around the inner circumference will also be provided. Service lanes to existing buildings will be provided behind the traffic islands, and these lanes will be in much the same positions as they are at present. Permanent underground services will be installed in such a manner that the Square will not have to be dug up for between 30 and 40 years. Any adjustment or realignment to the gas, water, electricity or drainage mains will be made during stage one.

The Square will not be closed to traffic at any time, but sections of it will be worked on in rotation. The first part to be altered will probably be the eastern side, followed by the western, with the centre being altered last.

The council already has £25,000 in hand to start on the work and it is hoped that the balance can be obtained by a special grant from the National Roads Board or by a Roads Board subsidy. Parking space outside the Chief Post Office will be re-

duced. Twenty taxi-stands have been allocated on the outside of the islands which will be used as bus stops. It is intended that the Square will remain the focal transport point of the city and the Christchurch Transport Board has approved in principle the redesigning. The plan also has the approval in principle of the Cathedral Chapter. The Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev. W. A. Pyatt) was present at the committee meeting. Buildings on Corners

The second stage of the' plan provides for a smoother flow of traffic around the Square, and negotiations will have to be undertaken with the owners of Warners Hotel and Dalgety and New Zealand Loan, Ltd., to see if the council can acquire the land occupied by the corners of these buildings, which at present protrude into the Square and do not allow for the maximum, unimpeded flow of traffic. The chairman of the works committee (Cr. A. R. Guthrey) said last evening that if the council could even procure the ground floor of these buildings the roads could be straightened and the other storeys in both buildings, could, if necessary, be cantilevered. He did not expect the Post Office corner would present any problems in traffic flow. A total of £60,000 has been budgeted for the second stage. Under stage one, some slight adjustment of the Cathedral grounds on the west side may be necessary; and pedestrian crossings for north-south traffic will probably have to be co-ordinated with traffic lights. Although there will be no general prohibition in the Square, the council hopes to educate the public to avoid using it as a through-way.

Although the council will not discourage any one from building in the Square, it will encourage them to plan in keeping with the new harmony and concept of the area.

Basically, the plan is* an adapted one of the • prizewinning entry submitted by Messrs P. Pascoe, F. Tomlinson and W. Linton for a competition in 1961 sponsored by the late Cr. W. S. MacGibbon. and the idea behind the redesigning is to put greater emphasis on the Cathedral and its precincts. The plan which has been authorised will be displayed in the Council Chambers for the benefit of the public. Cr. Guthrey said any constructive criticisms of and suggestions on the plan would be seriously considered and be acted upon if necessary. “However, the council is determined that the principle of the plan will go on,” he said.