“Corridors of control” for motorways sought

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32708, 10 September 1971, Page 17

“Corridors of control” for motorways sought

The Waimairi County Council’s reviewed district scheme did not allow wide enough corridors of control for proposed motorways, the regional traffic engineer of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority (Mr M. Douglass) said in evidence to a council town-planning hearing yesterday. The authority’s concern was to ensure a satisfactory administration of land affected directly and indirectly by i motorways, to provide satis- ; factory control to enable the ; construction of motorways, and to ensure that adjacent ; properties were reasonably protected, said Mr Douglass. The area shown in the ; council’s district scheme was based on land required only for the construction of the motorways, but excluded some land which might be affected by the motorway construction and also property that might be required for landscape work outside the construction areas. Such a narrow area made no provision for control of development immediately abutting the proposed motorway nor the amalgamation of properties that would be necessary to effect a satisfactory redevelopment integrated with the motorway, said Mr Douglass. “No designation” At present there was no , “motorway-zone” designation ! and the Ministry of Works and the National Roads ’ Board could not designate ' land other than that directly required for motorway conb struction, said Mr Douglass. ; This meant that there would ■ be abutting property which, ‘ although directly affected : from an amenity and plan--1 ning viewpoint by the motor- ■ way, might be outside the ‘ designation made by the • Minister. 1 Experience in New Zealand > and overseas had clearly in--1 dicated that unless control ■ of property abutting the ■ motorway boundary was ex- . ercised effectively, an un- ■ sightly, intrusive, and poorly > landscaped and objectionable > motorway might result. "At this stage, while ac-

•I knowledging that landscap- r ing is important in motorway f construction, the National ( Roads Board has not seen fit ( to extend the area required i ! for construction, although for ‘ ■ isolated cases it has included ! additional land suitable to , use for landscape purposes,” said Mr Douglass. Because of special circum- . . stances existing in the city , ■ centre, the Christchurch City Council might decide that , "special amenity protection , areas’’ were preferable to ■ , motorway zones. Inquiries had been made of , the Christchurch City Coun- • cil and the Crown Law Office . regarding problems relating , to the designation of motor- ' way areas, but full replies '■ had not yet been received, ; said Mr Douglass. City Council’s views | ! For the Christchurch City ; Council, which counterr objected to the authority’s ob- > jection, Mr A. Young said [ that most of Mr Douglass’ ■ evidence was quite acceptr able but the City Council had . not had time to complete its I views on the matter. At pre- • sent there was provision for both the construction area of ■ a motorway and areas along f the sides, but there was no , firm policy on landscaping. The committee chairman i (Cr R. C. Neville) said that > the City Council would be . given a reasonable time to . complete its policy, but the t county was anxious to get its ’ district scheme through as rapidly as possible. It was decided to wait un- ’ til October 5 before making a ! decision. ’ The authority also lodged > objections to various other - zoning aspects of the re- ' viewed scheme. Decision on ■ all these was reserved. • The Fletcher Development 1 Company, Ltd (Mr B. S. Me- • Laughlin), objected to 26 sec- > tions north of Rothesay Road • between the plantations and - the coast being zoned as dei ferred urban and asked that ! they be zoned residential A. For the objector, Mr W. 1 H. Barker, a consultant town - planner, said that Fletcher’s 1 owned a large amount of land : south of Rothesay Road and • with services having to be - put in for this large subdit vision it was common sense 8 to extend the services to the land north of Rothesay Road, • but this would not be eco-

nomical if the land could not be sold for urban purposes. The Christchurch City Council objected to 320 acres east of Lower Styx Road being zoned as deferred urban and asked that the area be zoned special rural. Mr Young said the City Council owned 3183 acres of plantation in the Bottle Lake — Chaneys area and it was concerned to protect the plantation. Afforestation and urban development were uneasy neighbours, said Mr Young. He referred to the increased risk of fire and the fact that pollen would be carried from the plantation to the residential areas. Company’s opposition A cross-objection was made by the Fletcher Trust and Investment Company, Ltd (Mr McLaughlin). For the company Mr R. L. Bodger, a town-planning consultant, said that the block concerned would house 6000 people and there was a need for the use of such land for urban development. Mr L. F. Sugden objected to the zoning of a five-acre . section at 104 In woods Road as residential A and asked that it be zoned industrial C. He said he had bought the section on the understanding that it was to be zoned industrial. A cross-objection was lodged by Mr C. L. C. Smith (Mr J. R. Woodward). Thirteen persons objected to the zoning of land east ' of Solway Avenue and north of Dovedale Avenue as residential B. They asked that it be zoned residential A. In submissions made on I behalf of all the objectors, Mr ■ N. J. Gale said it was understood that residential B zon- , ing would allow high-rise, high-density housing to be : erected next to a residential A area in which all property . owners had signed a coven I ant stating thaat they wouk I not erect flats of any type. The covenant was drawr ; up by the original landownei . and was one of the factors . that attracted the objectors i to the area, said Mr Gale. It ; was felt that if multiple flats I or students’ hostels were I allowed to be built neigh- > bouring properties would be - devalued. • The committee will con- ; tinue its hearing of the more , than 300 objections to its re- - viewed scheme on Monday