Building taverns

Press, 6 December 1979, Page 20

Building taverns

Sir, — “The Press,” November 15 reported a meeting of Spreydon residents who objected to the establishment of a tavern in the Barrington Mall extensions. No reference was made to a statement in a radio report of that meeting, by the Chief Town Planner who warned that already for three years that area had been designated for a tavern., If ii. were not built in the mall, another site would be chosen anyway. This is clear warning to ratepayers everywhere of the possible imposition of such liquor outlets in their midst with minimum public notification and consequent depreciation of property values and localities as reasonable places in which to live private lives. Why is the public left ignorant of such possibilities until too late? Are there provisions in the district scheme to authorise them? If so, on what basis are they approved, and by what constituted authority? — Yours, etc.. V. F. JOBBERNS. November 21, 1979. [Mr J. H. Gray, General Manager and Town Clerk, replies: “The radio report referred to was not strictly accurate and the situation as outlined by the City Planner at the meeting was that three years ago the Liquor Licensing Commission held public hearings in the course of conducting its review of liquor outlets in the Christchurch area. As a result of several days of submissions and evidence a decision was published and one clause stated that the Commission favoured the establishment of a liquor outlet within Ikm of the intersection of Lyttelton and Stourbridge Streets. Before a liquor outlet can be established, both town planning and liquor licensing procedures must be completed. One would expect an eventual approval by the

Liquor Licensing Commission for a tavern somewhere in the Hoon Hay area, but town planning procedures must establish the precise location, design and conditions of development. In this instance, an application has been made to the council and the application will go through the specified departure procedures under the Town Planning Act and the council (after hearing public submissions and objections) will initially either approve, decline or approve subject to conditions. Following this process, rights of appeal to the Planning Tribunal apply and it is likely that the tribunal will be the authority which makes a final decision. The decision to site the tavern therefore on the site which is the subject of this application or any other site in the area has not been preempted and if the correspondent wishes to become involved in the hearing process, he or she may be associated with any of the objectors who have already filed objections to the proposals. The dosing date for objections was November 23. Even though not having the status of a full objector, there would be the right to be heard in the same way as other objectors provided this office is contacted so that necessary arrangements can be made.”]