Public urged to air views on Rolleston

Press, Issue 33842, 14 May 1975, Page 18

Public urged to air views on Rolleston

A questionnaire, seeking the views of ansone who ha. ideas about the Rolleston new-town scheme, will be published within a week or so bv the Rolleston Planning Group.

The group's project director. Mr David Sheppard, said that it was hoped that the questionnaire would he published in the newspapers, and that copies would be available in shops, libraries, and the like in Christchurch and at Rolleston.

“We hope for replies from people living not only at Rolleston. but in Christi church, where a lot of people will be interested in moving to Rolleston, or have ideas about how the new ■town should be developed,” said Mr Sheppard. “The questions are now being drafted. They cover such things as aspects of living in a new community, the proximity of schools, health facilities, closeness to w’ork, land down to such things as! | the size of sections and’ iwhether people want gardens: ’or not.” ’ The more the planners got ’ . “input” from ordinary people: 'at the start of their work,! i the better, Mr Sheppard! I said. Though an ordinary ’ person might think his or her views were of not much imiportance to planners, this’ ’ attitude was wrong. USEFUL POINTS “Planners can learn a great deal from the views of people,” he said. A great ; many useful and constructive ’points had already been made Iby people in their contacts’

(with the planners, and this ’showed that real interest was being taken in the planning. Though there was opposition in certain quarters to the Rolleston scheme, this attitude was changing, and more people were realising ! that the future growth of Christchurch would pose | problems, and that they would have to be solved. People, said Mr Sheppard. I were beginning to consider alternative ways in which ! Christchurch and its district ■ Icould grow, and the Rolleston project could, and should, I focus these views. Mr Sheppard said that the planners had already had disIcussions with the Christ'church City Council and ’other councils interested in Rolleston, with church and ; social welfare groups, and iv/ith the Rolleston Residents’ ! Association. Public meetings to discuss the various concepts for Rolleston, and to get a further ’exchange of views, would start in from two to three j months. This delay was to ■give the planners time to col-1

late replies to the quecnn- : naire. The other side of public participation in the Rolleston scheme revolves round th< ’hearing of objections by the Town and Country Planning Appeal Board N been set for hearingDECISION AWAIT ED First, the board will have to decide on the claim bv the Crown that it should consider only submissions as to whether it is fait and reasonable to take land lor the new town, and should not be concerned as to whether or not there should b< a new town, indications were given at a preliminary hearing by the board that this view would be challenged. Ms R. Seagar, a sociologist, and Mr J. Curtis, who has .been working on the AlbunWodonga new town between Melbourne and Sydney have joined the planning team.