LAND WANTED FOR CLIFTON RESERVE

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31381, 29 May 1967, Page 19

LAND WANTED FOR CLIFTON RESERVE

Forty-six residents of Clifton Hill have written to the Sumner Residents' Association protesting at the lack of suitable reserve land on Clifton Hill. The letter was received by the association's annual meeting on Thursday evening. “With so much adjacent hill land inviting subdivision in the future, we feel it is imperative for the City Council to secure several acres of fairly level land to be set aside for recreational, community, and educational purposes before it is all sold for housing,” the letter said.

Clifton Hill had recently lost the use of the upper portion of the Zig-Zag reserve, because the Christchurch City Council had exchanged the land for a much less favourable area of private land which by its position and the gully running through it, could serve little purpose. “Two private drivers have been allowed to interrupt the Zig-Zag add reduce its safety to pedestrians. May we request that no more of the ZigZag and its bordering reserve land be interfered with.” The letter suggested a committee be set up of residents and. if possible, representatives of the council, to investigate the request and to explore the possibility of the development of a pedestrian right-of-way from Panorama road or Richmond Hill to the Summit road and similar rights-of-way from Sumner to Godley Head and Richmond Hill.

The association was urged by Mrs E. Meyers to approach the traffic department to provide a pedestrian crossing of the children’s playground on the Esplanade. “We have been told pedestrian crossings are not placed on comers,” said Mr W. J. Baguley, the secretary. “I take issue with this as we have a far more dangerous

pedestrian crossing on the corner at fave Rock.” Mr Baguley reported that in July, 1966, a letter had been sent to the Christchurch City Council about painting the bases of the causeway poles and building two cycle tracks along it. No reply had ever been received. A letter from the Transport Board saying it would not be possible to extend bus services to Clifton Hill, Ocean View road and Scarborough was received. Reasons given were that the roads were not suitable for buses and the population of the area was too small. Mr G. Haslett, the chairman of the baths committee, tabled a report on the projected salt-water baths. He said a site had been chosen on the west side of Cave Rock for an open pool set in concrete at a maximum cost of £20,000. However, no firm recommendation could be made for the raising of finance as the Christchurch City Council viewed the matter as a parochial one.

“Pollution of water would be greater than the accepted level and the salt water could not be filtered," he said. “There is no guarantee that it will not continue to be’ polluted. “It may be advisable to drop the salt-water pool idea and consider a fresh-water pool at a more suitable time. This means our beach may never be clear of pollution.” Officers elected were:—Patron, Mr A. L. B. Ross; president, Mr B. Hanson; past president, Mr E. Brooks: vicepresidents, Messrs R. H. Lovatt and W. J. Baguley; honorary secretary, Mr Baguley: honorary treasurer, Mr Lovatt; committee, Messrs J. W. McNab, D. Richardson, W. de Thier, S. W. Hickmott, B. Pye, P. Madden, G. Roberts, M. Eagle, L. Ray and W. I Nicholson.