Ferry Road shingle dump

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33252, 15 June 1973, Page 8

Ferry Road shingle dump

Sir,—Commenting on a letter last September regarding the City Council’s unsightly shingle dump near the Heathcote bridge at Ferrymead, the Town Clerk (Mr M. B. Hayes) said “arrangements are at present in hand for an extensive belt of planting which will eventually screen this area.” Almost eight months have elapsed and the tree-planting season is well under way, without any evidence of the council doing anything to screen off the eyesore it has created. Will Mr. Hayes please indicate when some positive action can be expected. It would also be interesting to have some comment from the Christchurch Beautifying Association as to what it is doing to improve the whole area which its president, at the time, Mr J. A. Martin, described as “a blotch on Garden City landscape.”—Yours, CITIZEN. May 25, 1973. [Mr J. A. Martin, president of the Christchurch Beautifying Association replies: “A list of the owners of land adjoining the river at this point is now being prepared. When this is complete, each owner will be approached and asked to clean up his property. I agree, the Heathcote River along this stretch is merely an open sewer, not improved by periodically dumping the scrapings from the sewer on to its banks.”] [The Town Clerk (Mr M. B. Hayes) replies: “Since the earlier comment was made, the area to be planted has been cleared and cultivated, and the trees will be planted in about one month’s time.”]