Plan For “City Populated By Motor Vehicles”

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32312, 2 June 1970, Page 8

Plan For “City Populated By Motor Vehicles”

The Christchurch master transport plan seemed to have been prepared for a city populated solely by motor vehicles, Cr R. H. T. Thompson, of the Heathcote County Council, said on Friday Cr Thompson was replying to criticism by Miss Nancy Northcroft of his remarks to the Christchurch Civic Trust. Cr Thompson said he was aware that the master transport plan was the fruit of work done over a long time. Miss Northcroft would perhaps recall that staff of the Regional Planning Authority had consulted him in 1959 about the travel survey and he had spent some time exploring the literature and' looking at what was planned. But the fact that the travel survey seemed to have been carried out with exemplary skill and thoroughness did not manage to overcome the in-.

herent limitations of the method. “When I expressed concern that the s32m central motorway was approved at the August authority meeting after only 15 minutes discus- . sion, I did not say that this was the first time that anyone had seen anything of the proposed motorway,” said Cr 1 Thompson. “But it was the first time 1 that the reports on the central motorway, No.s 165. and 149 had come before the authority; the reports are dated August 1969. The sum- ! mary report No. 165 states ' that: ‘only now is it possible 1 to report on and confirm the 1 layout and planning aspects ■ and to show how,-it supports 1 the whole road network and ■ the proper redevelopment of I the central areas.’ II “It was my contention that ' certain features of the plan, t including for example the • provision made for public • transport needed further consideration and that the plan was not ready for immediate endorsement” Cr Thompson said that if the misgivings voiced at that meeting had in fact been groundless, they should have received a proper answer instead of being treated in a cavalier fashion. “I have never questioned ■ the technical skill and effort > that has gone into these reports. What did concern me was the lack of any thought for social and human considerations. The plan seemed to be prepared for a city populated solely by motor vehicles “The only time people are considered in the summary of the central motorway plan is when it is stated in effect, that if the end result of the plan is a ‘concrete jungle’ it will be the people’s fault,” jhe said.