SERVICE STATION SITES CHALLENGED

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31621, 6 March 1968, Page 6

SERVICE STATION SITES CHALLENGED

The Town and Country Planning Appeal Board reserved its decision yesterday on an appeal against a decision by the Heathcote County Council. The Shell Oil Company, Ltd (Mr A. D. Holland), appealed against the council’s refusal to allow land in a new subdivision on Centaurus Road (formerly the site of a brickworks) to be used for a service station.

The council was represented by Mr R. A. Young.

Mr Holland said the council had allowed a commercial zone adjoining his client’s property, which was zoned residential. The commercial area was owned by Foodstuffs, Ltd.

Residents of the area, the owners of two service stations, and the Regional Planning Authority, all objected to the application.

Mr Holland said the authority’s objection was unreal because they had said that the ideal place for service stations was next to commercial zones. He submitted that the residents should have objected to the council’s zoning of the commercial area. The authority had estimated an increased traffic flow on Centaurus Road from -1700 vehicles a day to 7600 a day in 1980, so there would be a substantially increased demand for servicing cars. Mr Holland said the two objecting service stations would not be harmed because residents of the area would travel to town along Tennyson Street, not Wilsons Road.

Mr R. J. de Goldi appeared for St Martins Garage, and L. Evans, the objecting service stations.

Mr Keith Tyler, Christchurch Regional Planning officer, said in evidence that frontage development of Centaurus Road should be kept to a minimum.

In reply to questions from the chairman (Mr J. W. P. Watts), Mr Tyler said the authority had subsequently had second thoughts about the wisdom of commercial zoning in part of the new subdivision

Mr de Goldi submitted that the council had no jurisdiction to grant the application. Mr J. S. Bisphan, representing objecting residents of the area, said there was no evidence of need for another service station, either now or in the future. Lyttelton Case The appeal board also reserved its decision on an appeal by Lyttelton Service Station, Ltd, against a decision of the Lyttelton Borough Council giving Shell Oil New Zealand, Ltd, permission to build a service station at the corner of London and Dublin Streets.

Lyttelton Service Station, Ltd (Mr R. J. de Goldi) appealed on the grounds that a service station there would be contrary to town planning principles, it would detract from the amenities of the area, it would not conform with traffic engineering principles, and it would not be in the public interest.

For the Shell Oil Company, Mr Holland said the area concerned was an undesirable residential area that was

changing in nature. It was obvious that the erection of a service station would not detract from the amenities, but add to them. Mr Holland said it was a case of an opponent in business wanting to stop another from starting. He was the only one who said it would detract from the amenities. There had been a petition in support of the application from the whole block. Mr Watts told Mr Holland that he did not take petitions at their face value. Sometimes residents would support applications for use of land because they could see that the value of their own properties could increase and they could sell them for a use associated with the proposed new industry. Mr Watts said there had been cases where persons “with an eye to the main chance” had been prepared to put up with neighbouring uses of land which they would not otherwise tolerate. The chairman also criticised a drawing of the proposed service station. He said he was sick of seeing “pretty pretty” drawings that did not accurately depict the buildings concerned. In this case, the line of the roof was shown parallel to London Street which was physically impossible.

“I suspect that a lot of these drawings are prepared by the same people,” said Mr Watts. "I hope they don’t get to the same position as the petitions.” With Mr Watts on the board were Messrs R. R. Beaumont and C. M. Turner.