Board Considers Sports Centre

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32361, 29 July 1970, Page 18

Board Considers Sports Centre

A proposal for a commercial indoor sports centre, to provide squash,- gymnastics, table tennis and a golf driving range, to be built on land west of Cowles Stadium, was put before the Christchurch Drainage Board last evening. The board was informed that Mr K. R. Bimler, of Mount Pleasant, wanted to buy three-quarters of an acre of freehold land for the sports centre building, and also wished to use a substantial portion of Cuthberts Green for a golf driving range. Mr Bimler had approached the City Council, which leases the sports centre site land from the Drainage Board. Under the terms of the lease, the council cannot sell the land, but is could forego its lease and the board could sell. It would need a modification of the lease of the larger area of land for

the golf driving range, before it could be leased to Mr Bimler. The board decided that some tree-planting would have to be cancelled, but as a screen of trees had been planted round the works, this would not now be so important

Some details of the actual site in relation to the board's sewers would have to be agreed, but there were no insuperable problems,' the chief engineer (Mr P. J. McWilliam) reported. The proposed sports centre, to be commercially run, would provide sports additional to those provided at Cowles Stadium. The residents of Aranui and Wainoni were very keen to have additional sports facilities in their districts. Mr G. A. G. Carrol said that there were about 90 acres in the area, and this request might be the first of several to establish sporting facilities in that area. Was it to be the board’s policy that the whole of the land be developed for sports? He did not think it wise to sell even three-quarters of an acre of the land, Mr Connal said. He was not against the board leasing it, or the City Council sub-leasing it But the board was buying land in another part of the district and it did not seem politic to sell. Mr R. H. Stillwell moved that the whole matter be re-

ferred to the board after the land purchasing sub-commit-tee had met the council for discussions on the proposal. His motion was carried. Mr M. R. Carter said that he did not think Mr Bimler would want to proceed because he wanted the land freehold so that be could raise finance for the proposed venture.

He said that if Mr Connal's motion meant that the board resolved not to sell any land, he would vote against it Mr Connal said his motion referred to the land requested by Mr Bimler only. His motion that the board not sell the land was carried.