Bishopscourt ruling delayed

Press, 27 May 1983, Page 4

Bishopscourt ruling delayed

A historical classification for Bishopscourt cannot be made until the national body of the New Zealand Historic Places Trust meets in Wellington, in September. The Bishopscourt Action Committee wrote to the Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr Highet, two weeks ago asking him to use the authority given him by the Historic Places Act to issue a protection order on the Park Terrace house and grounds.

Although the act gives the Minister power to ensure the preservation of properties classed “A” or “B” by the trust, such a classification for Bishopscourt will not be decided until the September meeting. The Bishopscourt Action Committee had been asked to make submissions to that meeting, said a member, Mr H. J. Walker, who returned yesterday from discussions on Bishopscourt with Mr Highet.

“The Minister said he hoped the building would be preserved, but legally there was no power he could exercise until a recommendation had been made by the national body of the Historic Places Trust,” said Mr Walker. The September meeting would consider a “B” classification that was pending for Bishopscourt, but the date of the meeting could nto be brought forward because three months notice had to be given, he said. Once the building received a classification it was within Mr Highet’s power to act, said Mr Walker. The action committee had gone to Wellington because a recommendation from the national body of the trust was required for the Minister to act. The future of Bishopscourt was no longer a local issue. It had grown to national proportions, Mr Walker said. “I hope the

Anglican Social Services Council, the Church Property Trustees, and the developers will not proceed further until the laws of the land have been allowed to run their full course, and the justice and desirability of the project has been properly considered by the appropriate statutory body.” Reports made in 1981 when the trust’s classification committee had visited Christchurch had urged the retention of the house and grounds on historical and environmental grounds, said Mr Walker. The committee might visit the property again before September.

The action committee would make written submissions to the historic trust, said Mr Walker. He was uncertain of any legal means which would stop the project going ahead until after the meeting in September, but hoped that the people involved would wait until the Historic Places Trust had made its decision.