Richmond Hill land decision deferred

Press, 17 November 1981, Page 6

Richmond Hill land decision deferred

Whether Richmond Hill Golf Course land should be used for housing has been deferred to the late 1980 s, according to a district scheme review decision made public by the Christchurch City Council yesterday. The hearing committee which made the decision said that the land should remain in a rural zone until the next scheme review, which would be publicly notified at the earliest in 1988-89.

The City Council believed that Richmond Hill generally was suitable for residential use but that there was no urgent need for additional urban land now.

The rate of urban development on the Port Hills was not great: it had averaged only 32 units during the last three years. Excluding Richmond Hill, enough vacant -land was

available in the city to provide for more than 1300 new housing units. Representatives of the Greenwood Estate, which owns the golf course land, had told the committee that development of the area was planned for after 1988. The committee said it recognised that the immediate urban zoning of the area would conflict with the proposed regional planning scheme.

the recreational value of the golf course was acknowledged but retaining the area for that use was a matter for the owners of the land and the Richmond Hill Golf Club. The committee’s decision includes a proposal to include the Richmond Hill area within the Residential Hills zone as part of the next district scheme review. The committee decided that adequate provisions

exist to safeguard the physically sensitive dune and foreshore areas of Sumner. Taylors Mistake, and Brighton. An objector, Mr J. .L. Robb, had wanted all buildings in the zone prohibited except for facilities associated with the recreational use of the foreshore such as toilets, changing rooms, and shelters. Sumner Beach Mr Robb was successful in having the coastal loreshore at Sumner between Cave Rock and Heberden Avenue, excluding the Scarborough playground, zoned Recreation 4. The committee agreed that Sumner Beach and especially the promenade had a special character and attraction for city dwellers. A Recreation 3i zone is intended to provide for active recreation whereas the Recreation 4 zone is for more sensitive areas. Housing The retention of old houses in the centre of the city has been given a boost. The council will clarify its policy on inner-city housing because expansion has meant that much of this housing has been left in small isolated pockets which, because of their size and location, are particularly vulnerable to industrial and commercial expansion. The committee said that such a loss would be significant. Hotel parking Car-parking requirements for hotels and tourist hotel premises in the Residential 2,3, 4,5, sa, and 6 zones will be changed. Such establishments will have to provide one space for each five beds, a space for each two staff, 30 spaces for each 100 sq m of public bar area, 10 spaces for each 100 sq m of other public area. Papanui Road An attempt by Autolodge Investments to have 72 Papanui Road zoned Residential 5 instead of Residential 3 was unsuccessful. Properties between 453 Papanui Road and 461 Papanui Road, near the Papanui shopping centre, have been zoned Residential 1. Bexley tip A proposal to zone the Bexley Tip landfill area fronting Pages Road as Residential 1 was supported by the committee. An objection had sought to have the area designated Rural 1. The committee suggested that the frontage be developed as part of the recreation reserve and that the equivalent number of residential sites be created in the general vicinity and on the landfill area.