Town Hall parking

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33058, 27 October 1972, Page 12

Town Hall parking

Sir, —Could the local branch president of the Law

Society explain what legal right, or what principle of justice, was involved when it barred the public (including the officials of the organisation hiring the auditorium) from the public car park at the Town Hall on the evening of October 14? And, having employed young men to ensure the public’s exclusion, why it could not also have enforced common-sense parking so that the performers’ exit doors were not blocked. Swift egress for 800 children carrying musical instruments was impaired, creating a potentially dangerous situation. Answers to these questions could be of interest to all future co-hirers of Town Hall facilities. —■ Yours, etc., (Mrs) HELEN M. HOGAN. October 22, 1972. [Mr R. E. Wylie, president Of the Canterbury District Law Society, replies: “The conference committee of the Law Society hired the whole of the Town Hall complex including the exclusive use of the car parking facilities for the period of the law conference. It subsequently agreed to release the main auditorium on the afternoon and evening of Saturday, October 14, to enable the Christchurch School of Instrumental Music to hold a rehearsal and its annual concert. Because the law conference was holding a simultaneous function in the James Hay Theatre in the evening the car park was still required. Coping with the cars of approximately 1000 visitors to the conference, with a view to using off-street parking to as great an extent as possible, was a major part of the organisation of the conference and involved a good deal of expense in obtaining and preparing sites additional to that of the Town Hall. I agree that exit doors should not be blocked by cars, but neither of the doors opening on to the car park was marked as a performers’ exit door; nor is there any indication to parkers to avoid the areas adjacent to the doors.”]