Section In Pages Road Approved For Hotel Use

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30316, 17 December 1963, Page 22

Section In Pages Road Approved For Hotel Use

Approval for the use of a section of land on the corner of Pages road and Cuffs road for the building of a hotel was given yesterday by the Town and Country Planning Appeal Board. The board comprises Mr J. W. Kealey, S.M., as chairman, with Messrs W. F. McArthur and C. H. Taylor. In giving the board's decision Mr Kealey said the board was concerned only with the town planning aspect of the enterprise, and was expressing no view of whether licensed premises were required or should be provided in that portion of Christchurch. That was a decision which would be made by other authorities. Mr B. McClelland, who appeared with Mr R. E. Wylie for Ballins Hotels, Ltd., said that this was an application for consent to depart from the district scheme to allow for a motel-type of licensed hotel to be built on this area of about 3J acres. The land was at present zoned as residential A. The land was at present little more than a rubbish dump, said Mr McClelland. He said that the company's application had the support of the Christchurch City Council. There was no licensed hotel within two miles in any direction and it was not near any church, school or hospital. In answer to a question from a member of the board, Mr McClelland said that the matter of a licence for the district had not yet been considered by the Licensing Control Commission. The submissions stated that after provision for building and landscaping there would be sufficient space available tor parking of 250 cars. Mr McClelland told the board that the land in question was not suitable for housing, as it would not provide stable foundations without considerable expenditure. Sections would not qualify for State Advances Corporation loans without foundationexpenditure, he said. The new hotel would be established by the transfer of an existing licence. Initial accommodation would be for 16 to 20 guests, and expansion would follow according to demand. Mr J. Loughnan appeared for Mr C. J. Williams, of 88 Cuffs road, Mr R. de R. Flesher for Mr A. S. Hobbs, of 92 Cuffs road, and Mr W.

H. Thompson for Mrs M. R. Saunders, of 94 Cuffs road objectors.

After hearing Mr McClelland's assurances that adequate right-of-way entrances would be provided, Messrs Williams and Hobbs withdrew their objections. Mr McClelland said that his principals would be prepared to buy, at a reasonable figure, the property occupied by Mrs Saunders. Other objectors were the New Zealand Alliance and the Linwood-New Brighton Women's Christian Temperance Union. Mr Kealey suggested to these objectors that their submissions would be more relevant before the authority which would decide whether licensed premises should be permitted in that area.