Three-year delay over traffic plan changes

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 32975, 22 July 1972, Page 13

Three-year delay over traffic plan changes

It would be at least three years or so before the Christchurch City Council could obtain considered alternative routes for the master transportation plan through its district, said the chairman (Mr D. B. Rich) at a meeting of the Waimairi County Council on Thursday evening.

“The costs of carrying out an alternative scheme in the city which differs from the agreed master plan will have to be met by the City Council,” said Mr Rich, who is also chairman of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority.

He was replying to Cr J. B. Russ, who said that the county council was being asked for more money by the authority to cover its second traffic survey. He was concerned that this survey would be deferred while the authority considered City Council proposals for changes.

Mr Rich said that the survey would be carried out first. The City Council, he claimed, had been telling people that its proposed changes were, in fact, approved. That was not the case. The National Roads Board, which agreed on Wednesday to release 1972-73 subsidy

money previously “frozen” by the board, decided to tell constituent local bodies that for major new work beginning after this year, only that included in an agreed master transport plan resulting from the second survey would be accepted, unless specifically approved by the board.

Ground rents.— The finance! committee indicated that it would be making a review of sports ground rentals. Helmores Lane.— ln another discussion on Mr I. D. Bennetts's subdivision at Hel- ] more’s Lane, the council agreed to lay out the 16ft strips of unformed road re-

serve on the subdivision frontage. Mr Bennetts, opposed by Mr T. P. Seay, had proposed that he be allowed to put a temporary fence 16ft out from his legal boundary. Exchanges.—An invitation would be extended to the Waitemata County Council, as Waimairi’s counterpart at Auckland, to send a party of councillors to study local developments and procedures, said Mr Rich In turn, a party from Waimairi would visit Waitemata.

Extensions.—ln approving of extensions to the Bethseda private hospital. 235 Harewood Road, the council asked the owner. Mr R. A. Ball, for an undertaking that no more than 39 occupants would be allowed.

Plantings.—Screen plantings had been required as a condition for industries to set up on the Main North Road at Chaneys, but much of the result had been an eyesore, said Cr A. A. Adcock. The staff was asked to take the necessary action to get the firms concerned to comply.

Motels.—S. A. and J. E. Smith, who applied for townplanning permission to build 20 motel units at 309 Main North Road were restricted to 17 units and one houseoffice.