Hall victory to street residents

Press, 17 May 1984, Page 9

Hall victory to street residents

Totara Street residents have won their battle over the use of a hall in their street. The Waimairi District Council decided last evening not to give planning consent for the United Bridge Club (non-smokers), to use the hall as clubrooms and for bridge meetings. In 1982, the Lodge Riccarton, which owns the hall, was told that the council would have no objection if the bridge club used the rooms. But as soon as the club began to hold its meetings there early last year, nearby residents complained about noise from cars and parking congestion in the street. Last March the residents presented a petition to the town planning committee. The council sought a declaratory judgment from the Planning Tribunal to see if the bridge club activities were permitted as an existing use of the hall. The tribunal ruled that

> the bridge club did not have existing use rights because it made much more use of the site than the lodge. It t said that the lodge and the ; bridge club would have to t apply to the council for > planning consent if they j wanted to continue the combined use of the hall. There were 21 objections, most of them from Totara , Street residents, when the 1 town planning committee f considered the application ; for consent. : In its decision the committee said the bridge club , drew big numbers of cars which disturbed local resii dents. There was no offi street parking and the cars created a danger and a s nuisance on the narrow ; street. The committee said it was aware that the bridge club had spent considerable i sums of money on the build- - ing but the crucial issues > were the lack of off-street parking and the effect on the immediate neighbourly hood.