Discount store ‘would cause extra traffic’

Press, 28 November 1979, Page 6

Discount store ‘would cause extra traffic’

The effects of heavier traffic were discussed at a P ning Tribunal hearing yesterday, during the secund ,y of an appeal by Wool worths (N.Z.) Ltd, to build a discount store in Shirley. The Christchurch City Council rejected the original proposal in March because of the zoning of the area. Part of the site bordering Golf Links Road was zoned residential and the rest, between New Brighton Road and Marshland Road, was zoned commercial.

The proposed building will include more than 30 retail shops under one roof, selfservice would enable stores to discount their wares by up to 15 per cent. Continuing the case for the appellants, a civil engineer, (Mr P. T. McCombs), gave evidence of the traffic effects caused by the extension of the existing shopping centre. Approval could be given without any compromise to performance or capacity of the surrounding streets, he said. The proposals would in-

crease traffic to the site by about 5000 vehicles a day, possibly increasing to about 7500 vehicles after the centre was established. The existing road network and intersections could cope with the increased traffic and the design of the centre would ensure this activity was contained in the carpark, he said. Vehicle access was limited to Golf Links Road, with a service lane access to Marshland Road. Mr . McCombs gave evidence showing that the existing store drew customers from other than peak commuter flows and said this pattern was likely to continue. The centre was expected to attract customers from within a 10-minute travel distance staying on average about 45 minutes. Parking demand allowed for an estimated 14.000 customers a week during the first year. The main entrance and exit would be off Golf Links Road This road carries 1300 vehicles a day and 2600 on the short length between the shopping centre and New Brighton Road. These would be increased to 3000. and 10,000 vehicles a day respectively. Proposed traffic management would include turning lanes at the intersection of New Brighton Road and Golf Links Road, and a median strip to control turning traffic along the frontage on Marshland Road. Counsel for the City Coun-

cil (Mr D. M. Palmer) said the increased traffic on Golf Links Road was another intrusion into the residential area. The traffic was four times that allowed for a local road and would change the character of residents’ properties in the area. Customers would also be likely to use on-street carparking in the area and residents would have to take more care in their comings and goings. A planning consultant. Mr W. H. Barker, gave evidence on planning implications of the proposed centre and its relation to the district scheme. In the pre-review statement of the district scheme, shopping policies set out allowed progressive development of these areas. Shirley was zoned C2 and the predominant use in this zone was retailing and warehousing. Residential zones surround the centre. There was no doubt that the scheme should and would be changed and this need already existed without the Woolworths’ application to enable implementation of the planning policies. The complex did not strain these planning concepts, but the proposal wbuld cause far fewer side-effects than a typical sub-regional centre might be expected to generate, Mr Barker said. The planning hearing will continue today with objections by the Christchurch City Council, the Canterbury Regional Planning Authority, and 27 private objectors.