PROBLEMS OF PARKING

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33031, 26 September 1972, Page 1

PROBLEMS OF PARKING

Patrons of the new Christchurch Town Hall—or, at least, those who do not elect to get there by bus or taxi—are likely to find that their biggest problem is going to be where to park their cars.

The problem will be its most severe on Friday nights, when the only two car parks within reasonable range—the City Council car park in Manchester Street, and the Amuri Motors car park in Durham Street —are usually filled early in the evening.

There is a recessed bay in front of the Town Hall’s main entrance where taxis and private cars will be able to stop briefly to set down and pick up passengers, but the other side of Kilmore Street, now a one-way street, is restricted to 30 minute parking during business hours and on Friday evenings.

On-street parking is. already hard to find in the area on a Friday night, and with anywhere from another 400 to 800 or more cars seeking parking, the situation must become very much worse. This was apparent last Friday night, when a trial function, attended by about 600 people, was held in the Town Hall Limes Room. Guests then found parking was hard to find, and those who were able to park within two blocks were lucky.

The Town Hall’s James Hay Theatre will hold 1000 people, the auditorium an audience of 2400 and a choir and orchestra totalling 500, and the Limes Room will take 500 for a sit down banquet. Then there are two conference rooms plus the restaurant. If the auditorium and the James Hay Theatre were both in use on a Friday night —which is not unlikely—there could be more than 1200 extra cars looking for parking in the area. Even on ordinary week nights, parking close to the Town Hall is not easy to find. The original concept of a civic centre beside the Town Hall provides for a car park under the centre itself —but any such project is a very long way off. Parking on the Town Hall site itself would barely provide for members of the orchestra, let alone the audience.

In the absence of parking, traffic in the general area of the Town Hall is likely to be made much heavier by vehicles dropping off passengers at the main Kilmore Street entrance, then searching the nearby streets for a parking place. It is believed that the Christchurch City Council is negotiating for the use of a property near the Town Hall as a parking area, but such a move would be a temporary measure only.