Property owners object to rural zoning

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32715, 18 September 1971, Page 9

Property owners object to rural zoning

Eight objections to the zoning of land between Travis Road and Mairehau Road as rural in the Waimairi County Council’s reviewed district scheme were heard yesterday by a council committee.

The objectors asked either for residential A or deferred urban zoning. Cross-objec-tions were entered by the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority, Mr L. F. Sugden, and the Shirley Links Company, Ltd. For the objectors, Mr P. Yeoman, a consulting engineer, said that the land fell into two categories—land north-east of the expressway wanted as residential, and the rest the Travis Swamp, which was wanted as deferred urban. The north-east area was already fully served with sewer, stormwater and highpressure water. The lower land was being filled by stages, and when this was complete the land would be suitable for subdivision.

Two basic servicing questions that arose with the Travis Swamp were the construction of the north-east relief sewer and stormwater control and filling, said Mr Yeoman. The Christchurch Drainage Board was seeking a sl.6m loan to provide a sewer operating within five years. Travis Swamp contained about 500 acres of low-lying land, but investigations carried out in the last three months showed that it could be developed for residential purposes, as -foundation conditions were good. A useless problem area could become a desirable residential district of some 2000 homes, said Mr Yeoman.

Occupiers of land in Lake Terrace Road—Messrs L. J. West, M. C. Burke, and W. Eckert—and Mr F. W. Matthews in Briggs Road objected to the zoning of their properties as rural and asked for residenial A.

The regional planning officer for the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority (Mr F. S. Robinson) said that the areas concerned were subject to restraints imposed by utility services, the particular services involved

being sewerage and drainage. The Christchurch Drainage Board had advised him that it would be opposed to the rezoning of properties because the nearby sewerage system was already overloaded and there were drainage problems in the area. Kainga settlement

Mr W. A. Fullerton objected to the rural zoning of land in the Kainga settlement lying between the new and old railway lines and the stopbank of the Waimakariri River and asked that it be zoned residential A. He said it was not intended to extend or otherwise develop the area. It was felt that raising the standard of zoning would raise the standard of the settlement. The sections were leased on a 10-year basis from the North Canterbury Catchment Board and more than half of the houses were occupied by pensioners or people nearing retirement to whom the quietness and beauty of the area were attractions, said Mr Fullerton. Mr Robinson said that Kainga was still little more than a fishing settlement. It had little claim to recognition as an urban area, as there

was little likelihood of urban services being available or possible in the foreseeable future.

Christchurch Estates. Ltd, wanted a rural zoning for land in Grampian Street changed to residential A. For the company, Mr G. C. P. Beadel said that if the land was rezoned it would be subdivided immediately. The estate of J. W. Barker, Lower Styx Road, also objected to a rural zoning and asked for residential A.