FUNCTIONS OF NEW CITY COMMITTEE

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30933, 14 December 1965, Page 22

FUNCTIONS OF NEW CITY COMMITTEE

The functions of the new dty development committee of the City Council were defined at the council meeting last evening. Earlier they were listed as: town planning, section two (transport), traffic engineering, parking buildings (location), major works, including Cathedral square re-develop-ment, reclamation and industrial development and the Christchurch airport. On parking buildings, the committee reported last evening that it would choose the location, determine the capacity as well as any ingress or egress requirements and frontage development.

In planning generally, the committee considered it should determine plot ratios, densities of residential development (person per acre) for various areas and the location and approximate size of various zones.

On traffic. It would determine major roads, street planning and related traffic signals, but would refer details of signal design and intersection protection to the traffic committee. Cathedral square and other similar special works would be carried to the sketch plan stage by the committee. “The committee is of the

opinion that it should deal only with matters of general policy and will only be concerned with the ’framework’ of the city,” the report said. “Our job is to plan for a better city,” said the chairman (Cr A. R. Guthrey). “Once our plans have been adopted by the council then we hand them over to another committee to implement.” Cr. M. B. Howard, M.P.: That’s kind.

There was a special committee with a specialised officer to deal with traffic, said the Mayor (Mr G. Manning). “Are you going to take away from them where there are going to be traffic signals?” There was no intention to take away the functions or purposes of any committee. Cr. Guthrey replied. The new committee was mainly concerned with planning for the future.

On the particular issue of traffic signals, Cr. Guthrey said the traffic engineer was mainly concerned with the need for them as a future planning measure, but he would work in co-operation with the traffic superintendent, who was mainly interested in enforcement and the handling of existing conditions.

Cr. Howard complained that the new committee had taken all the teeth out of the other committees. The traffic committee would have nothing to do, she said. “They will sit around like a lot of children.”

The new committee had become the council, she said. Cr. L. G. Amos, chairman of the traffic committee, said he was happy with the situation “in the meantime.”

The traffic committee should i decide where traffic signals should go, Cr. N. G. Pickering said. To separate the location of traffic lights and roundabouts from the master transport Plan would be farcical, Cr. H. P. Smith said. “Let's give the new committee a fair run,” said Cr. P. J. Skellerup. “I have some misgivings about it, but if we are going to make progress in the city then we have to plan development.”