Talks on surplus land

Press, 1 June 1984, Page 7

Talks on surplus land

The future of surplus Crown land along Madras Street and Barbadoes Street, not needed for reading, will be considered by a Christchurch City Council sub-committee. It was always understood by the council that suitable areas of surplus land owned by the Ministry of Works and Development would be held for landscaping and parking, said a council report to the town-planning committee. The Minister of Works and Development, Mr Friedlander, has told the council he appreciates its concern on greater planning issues such as parking, open space, and landscape improvement, but emphasised that land transfer agreements could not be determined through designation.

Procedures were available under the Town Planning and Public Works Acts for determining compensation for land affected by public works. Mr Friedlander suggested that the council consider the use of land at Ferry RoadBar bad oes-Co vent ryWilliams Streets and Barba-does-Tuam-Lichfield Streets in conjunction with the Canterbury Urban Transport Authority. Land surplus to National Roads Board requirements would be held for three months to enable further discussion with the District Commissioner of Works on the future of individual properties, he said. Draft recommendations before the town-planning committee suggest the following uses for specific

pockets of land: Lichfield-Tuam-Barba-does Streets: car-parking with an approach to the Urban Transport Authority for purchase funds. Christchurch Polytechnic area, Ferry Road, CoventrySt Asaph Streets: the council supports a proposed move by the Ministry to allow the land to be used for parking and space on the Polytechnic site. Ely Street area: reserve and street widening. Hawdon-Coleridge-Words-worth Streets: the Ministry be asked not to dispose of this land before July, 1984, when roading proposals for Hawdon Street will be finalised. Parks Garage site, 232 to 238 Salisbury Street: the Ministry be urged to terminate the lease before dis-

posal of the land, as the garage is a non-conforming use. Latimer Square, Kilmore Street, Oxford Terrace: part of Latimer Square, and reserves in Kilmore Street and Oxford Terrace be permitted to be used for road. This will require confirmation by the council in relation to Latimer Square and deletion of the Kilmore Street and Oxford Terrace reserves from protection under the Christchurch City Reserves Empowering Act. It is also recommended that the Ministry be advised that the council expects landscape treatment of land surplus to roadworks. The sub-committee now has to meet and report to the - council, which in turn will advise the Ministry of its recommendations.