Developer seeks rezoning

Press, 24 February 1977, Page 4

Developer seeks rezoning

Christchurch Estates, Ltd, a property developer, has applied to the Waimairi County Council for a specified departure from the district scheme to use rural land in Mairehau for housing dei velopment. I The application sought re- ' zoning from rural to residen- • tial for subsequent subdivision for two areas, 3.4222 ha on the north side of Claridges Road and Grampian Street, and 22.3927 ha between Philpotts Road and Hills Road. Tire application was heard by a Waimairi County Council sub-commit-tee yesterday. Thirty residents near the Hills Road-Philpotts Road property objected. It would be in the public interest, in view of the critical shortage of residential land for immediate development, to rezone the area as urban land, the manager of Christchurch Estates, Ltd (Mr T. W. Lucas) said. The land was bordered on three sides by residential areas, and the area was already well supplied with community services, he-said. The company was aware that the land was good quality farmland, but because of increasing problems in farm-

ing there caused by the adjacent residential development. it was considered that a buffer zone between residential and rural land was needed, Mr Lucas said. “Our draft lay-out provides roads and reserves on the northern boundary which would create the break between urban and rural land.” In submissions regarding the property of Grampian Street, the manager of Christchurch Developments. Ltd, associates of Christchurch Estates, Ltd (Mr M. J. Brooks) said that the only way to rectify the shortage of residential land in Christchurch was to rezone good quality agricultural land for urban use.

He agreed that if the application was granted it could set a precedent for similar development of adjoining rural land. The Christchurch Drainage Board objected to the application because there was no sanitary sewer available readily’ to serve the proposed development and any additional stormwater from the area would aggravate flooding in the Flockton StreetAy lesford Street basin. A consulting engineer, Mr D. R. Wilkie, giving evidence for the applicants said that sewerage to the subdivision

could be provided by instal- i ling normal sewage reticula- ; tion discharging into a pump- ; ing station within the subdivision. Once the second stage off the Dudley Creek diversion j was completed there would ] be no threat of flooding inj! the Flockton Street-Aylesford Street area when stormwater ; from the proposed subdivision was discharged into Dudley Creek, he said. The two men who at pre- j sent farm the properties also I gave evidence. Mr Y. A. Moore said that although the soil was not agriculturally inadequate, it was heavy and hard to work. “I do not believe I could ever make an economic unit] out of my block (32 acres)] and with the high rates, more I than $l3OO, I could not see it! ever being suitable for food' production.” He said food production i and farming was made very' ;difficult on the land because' of interference from children; |from surrounding houses,and' loss of stock caused by! interference from domestic I animals, fence damage, and! (high rates. There was no immediate . [shortage of land for residen-: !tial development in urban j Christchurch or in the urban:

part of Waimairi County: ] about 476 hectares was at] present available, Mr F. S., Robinson, a regional planner,] said on behalf of the Canter- ] [bury Regional Planning Au-i i thority. I The zoning of Grampian I [Street land was looked at dur-] ing the district scheme review ’ and it was decided that the] land was of such value for; food production that it had 1 [to be protected. Mr Robinson ] (said. Changing the zoning of the, [Philpotts Road-Hills Road I land was objected to because | the soils in the area werei class one with a high product-' ivity potential and because] < the area was übject to ser!vice and drainage restraints. I Mr J. S. Bisphan, on behalf I lof the 30 residents objecting] |to the change in the Hills; ' Road area, said that many of [the objectors had relied on] [the rural zoning of the area, (when they purchased their i sections or houses. ] There was inadequate [drainage in the area and bad ! flooding had occurred in the past, he said. ; Chilton Drive would not be 'suitable as a through road [serving any new residential ‘areas because it was so nar|row.