Parking ‘parlours’

Press, 17 February 1978, Page 4

Parking ‘parlours’

Christchurch’s parking policy was in a parlous state and the city had to do something about it or plan for the consequences, said Mr J. L. Robb, the city traffic engineer, opposing the appli"It is highly significant that today you are hearing an application to naive the capacity of one of only five off-street parking buildings in the city centre and next week will hear two which will establish 1000 spaces in two suburban shopping areas less than two miles from the Square,” said Mr Robb, on behalf of the Canterbury Regional Planning Authority. "If there is a continuing major transfer of activity from the city centre to the suburbs, the city network will cope and could be modified accordingly but the suburban and regional net-

works will fail; and no|s remedies are available there.”! I Mr Robb said that in the ! city, the reduction of park- [ ing spaces in the Amuri If Motors building had to result t in greater on-street parking.lt He quoted from part 9 ofjs the City Scheme Statement, which, he said, was a clear |c warning: The central business! t district is, and will continue It to be, the major centre ofli employment. The number of if vehicles entering this area is c expected to increase by about j 75 per cent between 1968 and|s 1985 and this increase wilLi require at least 10,000 more)< parking spaces.” Mr Robb said that the if assumed growth in vehicle I ‘ numbers had more or less!! followed that forecast, but 11 the provision of off-street ! t parking was many years be-1 hind. 1 “In fact, while the city has ] provided relatively few, the <

suburban shopping centres have provided far more. “The main suburban shopping centres can now offer 5000 public, free, and uncontrolled spaces at ground level and close to a variety of shops and homes. “This is twice what the city centre has and even then many of the city spaces are leased for all-day parking or are in unattractive parking buildings where charges are levied, delays experienced, and formidable slope-climbing and manoeuvring exercises are the order of the day.” Objections were also heard from the District Commissioner of Works, the Canterbury Provincial Buildings Board, and the Environmental Vanguard Organisation. Decision was reserved by the chairman of the hearing panel (Sir Terence McCombs),