'Bridge needed to meet hospital fire risk’

Press, 13 July 1979, Page 1

'Bridge needed to meet hospital fire risk’

The Christchurch Hospital complex was the biggest risk to life in the Christchurch district, a senior Fire Service officer asserted yesterday before the No, 3 Planning Tribunal.

Senior Divisional Officer B. T. Joyce was giving evidence at a resumed hearing supporting the erection of a permanent bridge over the Avon River linking Rolleston Avenue and the rear of the hospital. Fire-protection devices installed in the many buildings on the site were largely inadequate, said Mr Joyce, If any building, including the new ward and clinical services block, were at the permit phase today they would not meet present fire-protec-tion requirements as applied to the private sector.

A permanent bridges across the river from Rolleston Avenue would give Fire Service vehicles much faster access to the hospital in the event of an emergency. Tests con-

ducted by the Fire Service suggested that attendance times could be reduced by a third if emergency vehicles could travel from the Central Fire Station on Kilmore Street and beside the Avon River to a permanent bridge, said Mr Joyce. If the temporary bridge should be removed and no permanent access installed there would be a greatly reduced standard of fire protection for the hospital and its occupants. Anthony John Francis, an engineer employed by a firm of Christchurch townplanning consultants and transportation engineers, said a permanent bridge would relieve chronic problems of access to and congestion in the hospital. Mr Francis said present traffic demands on the Riccarton Avenue-Oxford Terrace frontages greatly exceeded access facilities available. A bridge serving the rear of the complex would ease the estimated 200 service vehicle movements per day made at present, but would be sub-

jecf to strict access con trols.

It was not proposed that the bridge would serve as an entrance for all and sundry but that it would be restricted to a “tradesmen’s entrance”serving only the new kitchen and the loading dock. Emergency vehicle access and a more convenient entrance for pedestrians, both visitors and hospital staff, would be created, he said.

Under cross-examination by Mr D. M. Palmer, for the Christchurch City Council, Mr Francis said he favoured a two-lane bridge, considerably wider than the present temporary bridge.

The existing temporary bridge had created minor traffic problems, but these would be improved by the different position of the new bridge and the conditions imposed by the City. Council, said Mr Francis. Dr R. A. Fairgray, the acting medical superinten-dent-in-chief of the North Canterbury Hospital Board and the chairman of a

group responsible for implementing the planning policies of the board, said it had always been envisaged that a bridge would be put across the Avon River to provide access for service vehicles and to improve the standard of patient care. By the 19905, the hospital would administer 950 beds, almost twice the present number, and improved access to the complex was vital.

In addition, the safety of hospital staff would be improved with a well lit, manned bridge servicing the rear of the ctrtnplex. Dr Fairgray agreed with Mr Palmer that staff safety was a ’’hot issue” at the hospital; and in answer to a question by Dr D. M. Cameron, who appeared for an objecting staff member, said that the present temporary structure was “well used’’ for staff access.

Di Fairgray said the proposed bridge would be manned from 6.30 a.m. to 11 p.m. at a .cost of up to $16,000 a year. He agreed with Dr Cameron that service vehicles supplying the hospital would use the bridge was well as emergency vehicles.

■The board had always vigorously opposed any suggestion that the bridge and associated roads be used as a link between Rolleston and Riccarton Avenues, and unauthorised use of the bridge would be prevented by an attendant, said Dr Fairgray.

The chairman of the Hospital Board (Mr T. C. Grigg) said no bridge would be built by the board on land to which it was not legally entitled under the Christchurch Hospitals Act, 1887, but to put that issue beyond doubt, and also to rectify the legal position of buildings already on trust land, the board had . promoted an act of Parliament to ensure that it was acting within the law.

Mr Grigg said the legislation was now before Parliament and it had the support of Christchurch members of Parliament. This was challenged by Dr Cameron in cross-examination.

The board had already established a “poor track record” when it came to using land to which it was not entitled, said Dr Cameron, and it had planned long-term development of building on trust land when

i its legal status was in qucstion. Mr Palmer said the City Council had been trying for some time to obtain a development plan from the board to determine parking and access questions pertaining to the hospital, but no plan had been forthcoming. Mr Grigg did not agree with Mr Palmer’s suggestion that Government policy on future bed numbers would mean a reduction of the board's building programme, thus making an access bridge, from Rolleston Avenue unnecessary.

Counsel for the board (Mr G. H. Gould) emphasised the easy access for emergency vehicles, inferior fire-fight-ing facilities at present, and the increased benefit and welfare of patients and staff, as the main reasons for the bridge. Projected traffic movements, increasing as the size of the hospital increased, made access from Rolleston Avenue to the rear of the complex essential, said Mr Gould.