Governor’s Bay “aimless sprawl” to be stopped

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33513, 19 April 1974, Page 2

Governor’s Bay “aimless sprawl” to be stopped

Planning for a new rural community’ at Allandale, for stopping “the aimless sprawl” of neighbouring Governor’s Bay, and for a major revision of rural land use in the district, are recommended by the Environmental Planning Group in a report commissioned by the Mount Herbert County Council.

The group’s recommendations have been adopted in principle by the council, which will take advice from its planning consultants on the best way to incorporate them in the council’s as-yet undisclosed reviewed planning scheme.

Noting that the review would extend the Governor’s Bay boundary south to Church Lane, the planning group says that this should be abandoned and moved further north.

The potential population for Governor’s Bay, the report says, should be from 800 to 1000 when fully developed within a more confined boundary for the •settlement.

This, with a planned population of 800 in the new community at Allandale, would give a total population of about 1800 over the 20-year period covered by the report, which stipulates a 2000 limit.

“This figure is considered the maximum desirable population,” the report says. “It is critical that Allandale and ‘‘‘Governor’s Bay be visually separated, but physically linked by pedestrian access.” The planning group comprises Mr F. D. Boffa, principal of a group of consultants, and two architects, Messrs G. W. Lucking and E. J. Vial. They were asked by the council last October to. make proposals for the future of the district. Wide interest The county chairman (Mr E. R. Radcliffe) says .the report, covering a district rather than a restricted locality, ‘is believed to be the first of its kind in New Zealand. “Wide interest has been shown, and we have had many inquiries far copies of the report,” he said. “One came from the Dunedin City Council, which has problems with Otago Harbour. "Changes to conform with the recommendations in the report will be made by the county objecting to its own scheme.”

The report, after emphasising the aesthetic benefits of visually separating Allandale from Governor’s Bay, says that the impact the new community would have on Governor’s Bay could only be beneficial, as Governor’s Bay suffers from lack of a community focal point.

The report proposes resiting of the Governor’s Bay School at Allandale, and use of the site as a community centre. All major commercial facilities would be at Allandale, but somelocal facilities could be allowed at Governor’s Bay. By removing the present businesses off the main road, the report says, the road could be improved. Major pedestrian access could be planned away from the road. There would be no need for a new by-pass road at Governor’s Bay. Nor would there be any need to consider a high-level road between the existing road and the Summit Road. The report says that the high-level concept, if put into practice, would be an environmental and visual disaster, and an unnecessary economic burden.

“Damage done”

Concern is expressed abbut “coastal sprawl” round Lyttelton Harbour, and the report says this must be restrained at such places as Corsair. Bay, Cass Bay and Governor’s Bay. The damage already is done at Diamond Harbour, Church Bay and Charterls

Bay,- which have joined up, it says. “In general, where there were once small communities in various privileged sites, a ‘little more’ has been tacked on,” the report says. “The point has beerf reached where the individual communities . . . are fast becoming ‘no places’. “Governor’s Bay, sprawling out at both ends, must be contained if it is- to retain its community character, and Allandale must also be contained in order that the two communities will be successful and complementary units.” Home sections The group gives aesthetic reasons why the communities must be confined to preserve their landscapes, views and pleasant settings, and emphasises that planning should relate buildings to surroundings.

At Allandale, the stream should be the focal point for most housing, on smaller sections. On the lower valley slopes, homes in groups should be put on two or three-acre sections. The school , and commercial centre should be back from the foreshore on the west side of the bay.

In all, 167 acres would be used for urban purposes. To the west and east, all the co#tal strip below the road, it is suggested, should be made a recreation reserve.

Steep slopes The report is emphatic, and quotes expert opinion, that much of the hill land is either unsuitable for housing, or should be conserved to avoid its despoliation. One limiting factor to housing use is the unsuitability of the hill slopes and the instability of their clay soils. More than two-thirds of the land has slopes of l-in-5 or steeper, and would present development problems.

Almost half the land has slopes of l-in-2.5 or greater, and slopes of more than 1-in-3, the reports says, should not be developed under any circumstances.

Amalgamation Turning to rural land uses, the report notes the decline of the district as a source of early fruit and vegetables.

and say that commercial horticulture is no longer viable.* i Commercial forestry, though the land is suitable, would! drastically change the charac- j ter of the place. “Agriculture is and must continue to be the dominant: land use, even if it is primar- 1 ily the caretaker of the land- * scape,” the report says. “As; the small size of the farms i is against their efficient and profitable management, it is essential that there be a major consolidation of units." The report urges that all land outside that wanted for special development should be amalgamated, and used as one farm of 1500 acres or more, to carry 2000-2500 ewe equivalents. Mr R. D. PlanK, lecturer in farm management at Lincoln College, is quoted: “Smaller units would be a disaster.”

Landholders

The report lists by name the larger landowners in the two bays, and shows Mr G. O’Farrell to have about 580 acres in six blocks, and Mr F. W. Thrower to have 441 acres on five titles.

Railway centenary. — The centenary of the Wellington suburban railway is to be : marked by a special display : at the Wellington railway station at the week-end. Wel- * lington’s train services began ■ with a run between Welling ton and Lower Hutt at 8.15 a.m. on April 14.1874.—(P.A.)