Views Differ On Houses, Trees

Press, Volume CVIII, Issue 31769, 28 August 1968, Page 7

Views Differ On Houses, Trees

Differences of opinion as to whether the City Council plantations at Bottle Lake should be given over for housing development were heard at a meeting of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority yesterday, when there was further discussion on the proposal to give the area deferred urban zoning. Cr G. D. Hattaway (City Council) asked whether authority members were satisfied, or had been told, whether the plantations were suitable for housing sections. “A lot of it was swamp,” he

said. “The pines have drained the area. What would happen if they are cut down? If the land is suitable, the City Council could make a lot of money selling the land, but we have no information that it is suitable.”

He was supported by Cr H. E Denton, who said the scheme was deplorable and insane. Much of the area was 15ft below sea level. Before Bottle Lake land was built on, there had to be an increase of building density on the city proper, where there was still ample land.

“Nobody want to build down there,” said Cr Denton, after querying whether “cheap housing development" at Bottle Lake was desirable. Cr W. P. Glue also criticised the proposal, and said that if it were not for the trees, the adjoining areas would be uninhabitable because of sand. “I can throw a stone on to the Bottle Lake Plantations from where I live,” said the chairman of the Waimairi County Council (Mr D. B. Rich). He said he was not going to

listen to a loj. of humbug about economics, because he was convinced that there should be urban development at Bottle Lake. The City Council had the audacity' to say the land was not suitable, when it was the same, essentially, as land being developed at Bexley. It was not correct to say that a large part of the area was 15ft below sea level. The authority had taken its decision to re-zone the land on its policy of restraints, with which all members were familiar. In the interests of

the region, the extension should take place, and he thought reason would prevail in making the council change its mind.

The authority was told, by letter from the Town Clerk (Mr M. B. Hayes), that the council had no intention of abandoning its plantation undertaking, and the executive reported that there had been discussions with the council.

However, the report stated, none of the matters discussed could have affected the basis of the authority’s recommendations.