Appeal against refusal to alter Woodend zone

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32563, 24 March 1971, Page 10

Appeal against refusal to alter Woodend zone

The Town and Country Planning Appeal Board yesterday heard an appeal against a decision to refuse an application by Mr G. W. Walker, of Woodend, to change more than 90 acres of rural land to urban use. The appeal was opposed by the Rangiora and Kaiapoi Borough Councils (Mr D. J. Clarke) and the Ministry of Works (Mr D. C. McGill). It was supported by the Rangiora County Council (Mr A. C. Fraser). Mr J. G. Leggat, with him Mr D. M. Palmer, appeared for Mr Walker.

Mr Walker’s original application was rejected by the ministry. The director of planning of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority (Mr C. B. Millar) told the board yesterday that if the change of use was granted the land would be committed to urban zoning and encouragement, since it was not easy to retract the effect of such permission when considering the district scheme. The granting of a change of use would be very wrong, leading to waste and sprawl if the area did not have the potential for urban growth. “If I were persuaded that a new growth centre was required in central Canterbury north of the Waimakariri in addition to Rangiora and Kaiapoi I would not select a site astride State Highway 1 in the middle of top-quality soils and so close to these existing towns until I had been persuaded that all other sites presented overriding difficulties,” he said. Mr R. Ward, town clerk of Rangiora, said that his council considered there was sufficient suitable land which could reasonably be brought within the borough’s area to allow all development in the district. Mr G. A. Town, assistant director of planning for the ministry, said that if there was a demand for resMential land at Woodend it was most unlikely to arise from those

who would be employed at Woodend. It was far more likely that residents at Woodend would have to find employment either in Kaiapoi, Rangiora, or Christchurch. A survey had already shown that almost a quarter of the people at Kaiapoi travelled daily to Christchurch to work. Both Kaiapoi and Rangiora had an appreciable and growing dormitory function in relation to Christchurch. Should a third township now be developed in the same general locality it could succeed only if it fulfilled the same dormitory role. The board reserved its decision.