“Roads Plan Will Not Be Thrust Down Throats”

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30498, 21 July 1964, Page 8

“Roads Plan Will Not Be Thrust Down Throats”

What will the Regional Planning Authority do if the people of Christchurch and the City Council reject its master transportation plan?

This question was asked by Mr R. H. Stillwell at a meeting of the Christchurch Transport Board yesterday. It was answered by Mr E. J. Bradshaw, acting chairman of the board, who is also chairman of the Regional Planning Authority.

“The authority is not of a mind to thrast its plan down anyone’s throat,” said Mr Bradshaw.

. Mr Stillwell had said that the people were democratically entitled to all the information on the “drastic road changes and taking-over of properties, including the motorway through Hagley Park. I wonder what would happen,” he said, “if the citizens and the council opposed the plan. Would the authority still go ahead with it?” The authority’s procedure was defended by Mr H. E. Denton, who is also a member of the authority. He said the authority had been willing to publicise Its plan and considered that the more that was known about it the better.

There would have to be alterations to it, but for anyone to propose that the public should turn the whole master transportation plan down was “criminal.” “It’s not only criminal,” said Mr Denton, “but it shows a lack of foresight that we should not make provision for the future. “I read in a newspaper a letter from someone advocating the bringing over of a consultant.” Mr Stillwell: That would be my letter. Mr Denton: Supposing the consultant said go ahead — where would the writer of that letter stand then? Accompanied by running interjections from Mr Stillwell, Mr Denton continued, saying that everyone disagreed with parts of the scheme. “Mr Stillwell knows that I am opposed to infring-

ing on Hagley Park,” he said. “So why does he quibble at me?” Mr Denton said Christchurch would be “a shambles of the worst kind” if the authority’s scheme was not implemented. Mr G. D. Hattaway attacked Mr Stillwell for saying that there would be a motorway through Hagley Park. “Your statement is misleading,” he said. “There is no such thing as a road through Hagley Park. It will be one small corner. “I doubt if it even cuts off a whole football ground. This is something the public has been misinformed about time after time.

But Mr Bradshaw’s figures embraced more than a football ground. “To be honest,” he said, “I should say that it will be not only the piece of land from the bend in Harper avenue across to the Salisbury street-Peterborough street area, but also a small piece at the Fendalton road end for an interchange. The actual area is still subject to discussion, but from what I have heard it would appear to involve 14 acres approximately.” . ... Replying to Mr Stillwell s question about what the authority would do if Its plan was rejected, Mr Bradshaw said the question seemed to imply that the authority was intent on imposing its plan on the city regardless of public opinion. This was contrary to the true position. In the two years before the authority announced its outline Master Transportation Plan in September, 1962, its officers had lost no opportunity to publicise it and to present the traffic problems of the city and the way the plan was being built. If .the authority had wanted to throw its weight around, it could have drawn up the plan as a section of the regional planning scheme and made it

operative and binding by getting the approval of the Minister of Works and local councils, subject to the Town and Country Planning Appeal Board’s alterations. “But the authority considered it was too important and too big to be treated like that,” said Mr Bradshaw. “So it published its plan and allowed some seven months for comments and objections. The whole community had a chance to comment and object. “Those comments and objections have recently been reported and replied to. The authority is not of a mind to thrust its plan down anyone’s throat. From the start it has sought maximum understanding and support, and it will continue to do so.”