Tourist Licence Granted

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30941, 23 December 1965, Page 14

Tourist Licence Granted

The Licensing Control Commission has granted an application by Roderic George Compton, a Christchurch public accountant, for a licence for a tourist house to be built on land bounded by Colombo and Salisbury streets and Gracefield avenue.

Compton is chairman of the board of provisional directors concerned with the formation of a public company to develop the tourist house.

When the application was heard in Christchurch on December 7, the commission reserved its decision. Mr R. J De Goldi appeared for the applicant, and Mr J. G. Leggat for the Carlton Hotel, Ltd., which opposed the application.

In its decision, the commission says the premises will provide 72 bedrooms —56 double and 16 single, or a total of 128 beds. There will be a conference room, a restaurant, and bar rooms for guests. “No Hesitation’.’ “Altogether the proposal is such that the commission has no hesitation in approving it as one which will help to increase the amount and improve the standard of accommodation for the travelling public visiting Christchurch.” the decision says. “We have said on previous occasions that the licensing legislation has traditionally preserved to hotelkeepers certain exclusive liquor sales rights and in exchange therefor has required them to undertake responsibilitie for the provision of accommodation.” However, the legislation has never made the provision of accommodation the exclusive province of hotelkeepers, it says. Mr Leggat suggested that there was no evidence, or insufficient evidence, of any need to increase or improve accommodation in Christchurch. He also submitted that the proper time to consider the issue was at the review to be held early next year. “The commission has never favoured holding up any projected development pending a review, but has proceeded as quickly as possible to examine any proposal to erect a new

hotel or tourist house. It sees no reason to depart from this policy.

“Ample Evidence”

“We are of the opinion that there is ample evidence of the need for this increase in accommodation,” says the decision, which then refers to evidence given by the Christchurch manager of the Tourist and Publicity Department (Mr W. A. Pickford). “We have regard also to the fact that a responsible body ■jf men (including an experienced hotelier), after the investigation to be expected of a project of this magnitude, is prepared to invest the necessary capital. This is in itself some evidence of demand. “The application is granted, and the licence will be issued when the premises are completed to the satisfaction of the commission and of the police and health authorities, and the fair price for the licence has been paid,” the commission says.