Stage I of Riccarton plan "ready on time’

Press, 22 November 1983, Page 9

Stage I of Riccarton plan "ready on time’

The first stage of the Riccarton Town Centre project should be completed on time—by March next year, according to Traffic Design Group, Ltd, consultant to the Riccarton Borough Council.

The council agreed last evening to call for tenders for streetworks and construction at the junction of Picton Avenue and Riccarton Road. The consultant said in a report tabled last evening that tenders should close on November 30, the work should be completed by February 20, and the stage should be formally opened on March 8. The consultant also reported that agreement had been reached with the Ministry of Works and Development on the technical details of the planned intersection layout and signal operation at the intersection of Straven road and Riccarton Road. Plans would be lodged for the formal approval of the Commissioner of Works.

The council agreed to take formal steps to remove

the present prohibition on right-hand turns into the Kentucky Fried Chicken shop in Riccarton Road. A survey by Traffic Design Group indicated that about 24 per cent of the shop’s customers approaching from Riccarton Road were making the turn, in spite of a council prohibition on them. the Town Clerk of Riccarton, Mr J. B. Skinner, reported that a satisfactory compromise • plan for the Picton Avenue junction had been reached with representatives of Wyatt’s chimist shop and the Cellar Ghost liquor outlet. The amended plan improved the availability of on-street parking while achieving all the council’s desired aims for that part of the town centre, said Mr Skinner. Swimming pools The council adopted a recommendation of its finance and by-laws committee that the council approve in principle the adoption of a by-law for the fencing of private swimming pools. The matter would be reviewed when the Standards Association circulated its revised standard by-law next year. Cr G. W. Hunt said that the people who had “whipped this up” had been particularly selective, stopping for instance, at the age

of five and stopping at swimming pools. “The whole thing smacks of interference with personal freedoms and to legislate to over-protect society,” he said. Cr Hunt said he disagreed with the council’s adopting the idea in principle and he moved that the matter be referred back to the finance and by-laws committee. His motion was lost. Cr J. W. Warren said that what the council was talking about with the recommendation was the saving of lives. Local authorities should adopt such by-laws. Street sweeping Cr R. S. Lester, chairman of the works and town hall committee, said that the council had been trying for about six years to buy a street-sweeping machine but the suppliers had had difficulty getting such a machine from Australia.

The Mayor of Riccarton, Mr R. W. J. Harrington, said he believed dozens of other councils were in the same situation.

“It’s a question of licences available to import them,” he said.

Cr Hunt said that the council should refer the matter back to the works committee to consider other models and options. He said he was concerned that the council had allocated $70,000 which had not been

spent. The council agreed to refer it to the committe. Cr Lester said that the machine was necessary because it was cheaper than manual labour. “Most of us are conscious of what street-cleaning is costing for almost nil return,” he said. Men’s toilet

The borough health inspector is preparing a report on the Rimu Street men’s toilet. Cr Lester said that it was in such a filthy state that it should be demolished. It was no reflection on the cleaning staff, he said. Mr Harrington said that the problem of vandalism of toilets was not peculiar to men’s toilets, nor to Riccarton.

“When you are dealing with people of this sort of mentality I don’t know what you can do about it,” he said.

Time off Cr Hunt objected to golfing staff having time off work on Thursday to play in the annual Christchurch local authorities’ golf tournament. He asked why such a fixture might not be held at the week-end instead of at the ratepayers’ expense. Mr Harrington said that he thought it was something which was traditionally done during the week. Mr Hunt’s motion that permission be refused was lost, his vote being the only affirmative one.