Second housing improvement area

Press, 30 October 1981, Page 4

Second housing improvement area

The Christchurch City Council’s second Neighbourhood Improvement Area, a designation allowing more Housing Corporation finance for renovations, was announced yesterday by the Minister of Housing (Mr Quigley). Approved under the Government's Community Housing Improvement Programme, the new area covers 274 housing units in Linwood, bounded by Ferry Road. Wilsons Road, and Ensors Road, and the Lyttelton railway line industrial areas to the south.

Mr Quigley said that an earlier proposal for a "Charleston” Neighbourhood Improvement Area containing 490 houses had been considered too ambitious, and the remaining houses in

the big block could be considered for designation Jater. The City Council will look for a house in the area to buy. renovate, and resell so that neighbours can have an example of what can be done with special Housing Corporation loans. Housing Corporation assistance will include grants to the council for area improvements and a housing improvement advisory service.

“I am particularly pleased to see that the council’s plans for the area have the active support of local residents,” said Mr Quigley. A neighbourhood committee had been formed, and residents’ enthusiasm for the City Council’s proposal had helped lead to approval of the N.I.A. designation.

The approved area is in Wilsons Road, facing Lancaster Park, to the industrial zone. It covers houses on both sides of Charles Street through to Ensors Road, both sides of Laurence Street, and along parts of Grafton arid Osborne Streets. The northeast section of the large block is in the second stage.

Area improvements done by the council will include improvement of the small park at the intersection of Charles and Grafton streets..

Mr Quigley said that 29 per cent of the properties in the new “Charleston” N.I.A. were in below average condition.

The council's first N.I.A. is in the Avon Loop inner city neighbourhood.