Factory To Remain On Residential Land

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31235, 6 December 1966, Page 13

Factory To Remain On Residential Land

An application to continue running an engineering factory on land zoned residential under the Christchurch City Council’s district scheme was granted by the Town and Country Planning Appeal Board yesterday. It was granted with some minor alteration to conditions, proposed by the Christchurch City Council. C. R. Hawkins, Ltd., applied for consent to depart from the council’s district scheme by using for a factory premises land it owned fronting Montreal street and Conference street, this land being zoned Residental B in the district scheme. The council supported the application. The board comprises Messrs J. W. Kealy, S.M. (chairman), R. R. Beaumont, and W. F. McArthur. Mr J. R. Woodward appeared for the applicant, and Mr W. R. Lascelles for the council.

The company wished to demolish some existing buildings on the site, to provide off-street parking and gardens. and to erect a new factory building, said Mr Woodward. The land, which was zoned residential B under the district scheme, at present contained the company’s machine shop, pattern shop, foundry, fettling shop, stores, staff rooms, and office, and two old, empty houses. The proposed new building would contain an office, pattern shop, cafeteria, stores, and staff rooms. The existing fettling shop would be replaced with a twostorey building of which the ground floor would be a sound-insulated fettling shop and the upper floor a washroom. Mr C. R. Hawkins, called by Mr Woodward said the land on which his factory stood should never have been zoned residential. The proposed new premises would make his business a much better neighbour and there would be no smoke or noise nuisance.

His business had a staff of long experience who would be lost if the business were forced to move any distance away. The existing staff amenities left much to be desired, but so far replacement had been prevented by the zoning. He was urgently concerned that his company would have considerable work converting franking machines as a result of the change to decimal currency work for which his premises were at present inadequate. About 2000 of the company’s franking machines were in use, he said. In reply to Mr Lascelles, Mr Hawkins agreed that the situation resulting from the change to decimal currency would be only temporary. The sitting was adjourned part-heard to allow the board to inspect the factory premises. When the hearing was resumed evidence was given by Ronald March Critchley, town planning officer. He said the council had been faced with a difficult decision. It felt it could support the application because the existing premises were long-standing with, in part, a long life ahead. Also the extensions were subordinate to the use of the foundry premises, they would improve appearances and in part protect the amenities of the neighbourhood. The decision to support the application was subject to 11

conditions designed to protect against objectionable elements and detraction from amenities, to facilitate access, safety and fire protection, and to anticipate the risks involved in any consent to a departure from the district scheme.