Service Station Appeals

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31649, 8 April 1968, Page 24

Service Station Appeals

The Town and Country Planning Appeal Board has dismissed an appeal brought by the Lyttelton Service Station against a decision of the Lyttelton Borough Council which gave 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 amenities in the area, it would not conform with traffic engineering principles, and it would not be in the public interest. The written decision said

that even if the board were to accept Mr de Goldi’s contentions in full, the board was nevertheless satisfied on the evidence given for the applicant that there will be no sufficient detraction from the amenities of the neighbourhood to warrant the granting of the appeal. The appeal board also dismissed an appeal by Shell Oil New Zealand, Ltd, against a decision by the Heathcote County Council which refused to allow land in a new subdivision on Centaurus Road to be used for a service station.

According to the decision, the principal submissions for the oil company were: that the proposed site adjoined a commercial zone and might ac-

cordingly be regarded as being suitably located; and that even if a public need for a service station in the locality could not be established now, and this was conceded, the expected increase in traffic was evidence that a need would arise in time. It was stated that good town planning required provision to be made now for future needs. The decision said that even giving full weight to these submissions, with which the board found itself in substantial agreement, it was unable to conclude that the appeal should succeed.

Both appeals were made before the special Town and Country Planning Appeal Board which sat in Christchurch on March 5.