Noisy bridge club prompts petition

Press, 4 March 1983, Page 6

Noisy bridge club prompts petition

Totara Street residents, disturbed by’ night-time activity at a bridge club in the street, have appealed to the Waimairi District Council for help.

A deputation of the residents attended the council's town-planning committee yesterday in an effort to get something done about the allleged nuisance.

A hall in the street which is owned by the Masonic Lodge has been leased to a bridge club, after the council gave permission for the additional activities.

The lodge had used the hall on three evenings a month, with between 20 and 60 men at each meet- ing.

The hall has no off-street parking and a letter to the council from the lodge, at the time permission was being sought for the bridge club, said that the maximum attendance at the bridge club would be 60 people, with 30 cars.

The lodge activities were infrequent, but the bridge club had up to four meetings a week, said the residents. "There is no doubt that the character of the street has been changed," said Mr D. C.

Saunders. He and 39 other residents of the 42 in the street had signed a petition to show the extent of their concern.

The bridge club activities had annoyed residents since January. Copies of the petition had been sent to the lodge and to the bridge club, but no response had been recieved, Mr Saunders said.

The district planner, Mr D. D. Hinman, said that the council had been advised that the residents could take action under the laws of nuisance, or the Planning Act. The council could find out from the Planning Tribunal if the bridge club use was permitted by the District Scheme or the Town and Country Planning Act.

Mr Hinman said he favoured the council’s taking action with the Planning Tribunal.

Cr Hazel Tait said she thought some mediation between the residents and the lodge or bridge club could have been attempted, as neither had known about the residents’ concern until the previous committee meeting and receipt of the petition. Mr D. B. Rich, the district

chairman, moved that the council make application to the Planning Tribunal, with urgency. This was adopted by the committee. It also resolved that a sub-committee, consisting of the committee’s chairman and two members, with the power to co-opt residents, hold discussions with the lodge and possibly the bridge club. If satisfactory progress is made by the sub-committee, the Planning Tribunal application will be withdrawn. Blair Block The town-planning committee could see no reason to refuse consent to housing plans submitted by the Housing Corporation for council land in Avonhead. Known as “Blair, block," the 44.4 ha area on Withells Road has been the subject of much discussion as to whether it should be zoned rural or residential.

The Canterbury United Council had asked the council to have the matter resolved by the Planning Tribunal. After its own hearings, the District Council decided that the change from residential to rural was not warranted.