Councillors to see sketch

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32663, 20 July 1971, Page 1

Councillors to see sketch

He had been led to believe that there was “a high possibility” that the full cost $3900 of a mural for the Christchurch Town Hall by Pat Hanly would be met by a grant from the Queen Elizabeth II Arts Council, Cr H. G. Hay, chairman of the Town Hall committee, said at the City Council meeting last evening.

He was answering Cr N. G. Pickering, who had urged that every councillor should be shown a copy of the mural plan or sketch, so that at least the elected representatives could say they had been consulted.

Cr Hay repeated what he

had said at the last meeting: that the sketch of the mural gave no indication of what was in the artist’s mind. It was impossible to convey in a small sketch a mural that would be 160 ft by Bft around four walls.

It was petty to keep the sketch away from councillors, Cr R. M. Macfarlane said.

“There is nothing to hide, so I think we should all see

it," Cr G. D. Hattaway said. “We should know what is going on.”

Cr R. H. Stewart said he did not want to see an argument on whether councillors liked or did not like the design, but he thought councillors should be shown it.

“I think .we are wasting our time dealing with a matter of $3900 in a project costing $3.5m,” Cr B. J. Britten said. “What if we saw a copy? No-one around here is gping to alter it. There are all sorts of things in the Town Hall about which we know nothing. What about the front doors?”

Cr Pickering said he merely asked that all councillors be given the same view of the mural sketch as that given to the members of the Town Hall committee.

By vote, the council agreed with him. Cr Pickering also raised the question of the town hall fountain.

-Cr Hay replied that the whole matter of the fountain had still to go before the committee.

The architects would be asked to report on all aspects of the fountain, including the possibility of a competition, and cost.