Overbridges Into Sydenham

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30783, 22 June 1965, Page 1

Overbridges Into Sydenham

Bridges over the railway line and Hazeldean road to encourage the development of industry, and the construction of new streets in the Sydenham industrial area, were approved by the Christchurch City Council last evening.

The town-planning committee produced a plan of the area and two aerial photographs showing the approximate location of several future railway overbridges.

Hazeldean road at present served the industrial south of the railway by providing an east-west connexion between all the main streets, the committee said. As the road lay close to the railway and would be encroached upon by future railway yard extensions, it must pass under the overbridges. It would provide useful access to properties fronting on to the railway, but direct access to the north-south street system would not be possible. To overcome this, the committee proposed:— Construction of a 66ft

street connecting Sandyford street with Disraeli street and having intersections with Montreal street and Kent street. Extension of Kent street to Hazeldean road at a width of 66ft. Construction of a 66ft street connecting Sandyford street and Byron street and having an intersection with Buchan street. This street would absorb Hugh street.

Other works necessary would be to widen Braddon street, where most of the land was already owned by the council; close Hazeldean road from Montreal street to Orbell street; close a short length of Cass street at its intersection with Colombo street; construct a street connecting Sandyford street to Cass street; close the existing connexion of Kent street to Montreal street; and improve the intersection of Disraeli street and Harman street. Once the new east-west street was in use, the use of Hazeldean road by through traffic would be less significant, the committee said. More than half a mile of railway frontage was available on the street, although at present no sidings crossed the road.

Cr. R. M. Macfarlane, M.P., said that the scheme should not be foisted on the council when a complete review of the master transport plan was to be made. He would like to know how the scheme fitted in with the master plan.

“The council has no right to make a decision until the people living there have been told.” Cr. M. B. Howard, M.P.,

said. “If the council is going to hunt people out of their homes it is up to the council to provide somewhere else for them to live.”

The compensation they would receive would be quite inadequate for many of them to buy houses elsewhere, she said.

“How many traffic plans are we to have in the city?” Cr. P J. Skellerup asked. “I understood the Regional Planning Authority was preparing a master transport plan. Have we two bodies preparing plans?” The major plan dealt with motorways and gave a guide to what had to be done by local authorities, said Cr. G. D. Griffiths, chairman of the committee. Whatever was done would fit in with the master plan; but it was work that should be done in any case.

To Cr. Howard, he said that only eight houses were affected. It was a growing industrial area, and it should be properly planned. The council agreed to the preparation of detailed plans.