Town Hall parking

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 16

Town Hall parking

Arts Festival organisers are concerned that the loss of the Kilmore Street car-park may affect patronage at Town Hall festival events.

The manager of the Town Hall (Mr B. P. Connell) said that, the Arts Festival aside, the Town Hall needed the car-park, even for social functions in the Limes Room, or for a single concert in the James Hay Theatre. The car-park, of about 130 spaces, is at present being offered for sale by its owners, and is no longer in use. The director of the Arts Festival (Mrs Helen Holmes) described its loss as “disastrous.”

“The minute you make it difficult for people to have easy access to the Town Hall, our income plummets,” she said. Eighty per cent of all Arts Festival fare would be staged at the Town Hall, not only in the evenings but also at lunch times. The closest off-street park-

ing is at the Manchester Street car-park and at the Amuri car-park — the latter being closed at nights. The Town Hall park is small, and nearby on-street parking is often taken. Mr Connell said that wet nights put the greatest test on patrons. Long, wet, or windy walks in long gowns and delicate coiffures infuriated people; they were upset before they arrived at the show. The car-park was especially needed on nights like those. Complaints had even been received from patrons at the recent Ron Goodwin concert on a warm, clear evening. They disapproved the long walk to the Town Hall.

■ The difficulty appears to be the asking price of the seller. The lease on the carpark to the Christchurch City Council expired late last year. The new terms were unacceptable to the council, and so were the terms of sale

announced soon afterwards. “They were talking massive figures,” said the Mayor of Christchurch (Mr H. G. Hay). Another approach very recently was also unacceptable although the price was lower.

“We told them that they would have to put forward some new proposition,” said Mr Hay. “Money to buy car-parks comes from the parking meter account and that is pretty thin at present. The Town Hall Board of Management has not the money to buy it. “If the seller has any new proposition let him put it in writing to the Town Hall Board of Management,” Mr Hay said. Although the Owner had been directed to the Town Hall Board of Management several times by the Town Clerk (Mr J. H. Gray), no approach had been made, Mr Connell said.