Heathcote moves to protect historic pumping station

Press, 4 October 1985, Page 5

Heathcote moves to protect historic pumping station

The Christchurch City Council’s historic waterworks pumping station in Colombo Street, and two cottages on the property, may be included in the Heathcote County Council’s register of objects and places of historic, scientific and architectural interest. Heathcote County’s townplanning committee last evening decided to make the recommendation to the next council meeting because of the particular historic and architectural significances of the pumphouse building and the cottages. Cr Bob Simcock was the only councillor to vote against the motion. The City Council wants to demolish the old pumping station and cottages to make way for a new workshop and extended storage area. > Once the buildings are incorporated in the register, the City Council, as the owner, would hot be permitted to alter, add to, or demolish the buildings without first obtaining the Heathcote County Council’s consent. If the recommendation was passed, if would be the City Council’s responsibility

to object. “This would place unnecessary restraints on the council for it to develop the land,” said Cr Simcock. The County Chairman, Mr Oscar Alpers, said the whole object of the recommendation had been to bring the issue “into the arena.” If anyone was unhappy with the proposal there would be a further opportunity for objections to be heard. An occupant of one of the cottages for 20 years, Mr Brian Stephen, said he was pleased with the town-plan-ning committee’s decision. Mr Stephen, a shift engineer at the pumping station, was told by the City Council in 1983 that he would have to find somewhere else to live as the buildings were to be demolished. Earlier this year, the council told him to vacate the cottage by March 31, 1986. Since then he has been working to save the buildings. Mr Stephen believes the battle is not yet over, and fears the City Council may retaliate in some way if the buildings are saved. “Tfcby may decide to increass the rents to the legal limit and drive me out of the house,” said Mr Stephen.

Helicopter landings Garden City Helicopters was given approval by the committee to fty a helicopter from a landing pad at Ferrymead Historic Park, for one day at Labour Day week-end, as requested 'by the Ferrymead Historic Trust. Cr Peter McGrail said that approving the flights would be a good test to see what sort of objections the council could expect if it received further applications from the company for such flights. Before the meeting, one of the directors of Garden City Helicopters, Mr Roger Corbin, said that even if the council agreed to the landing pad request, the firm would still need to get permission from the Civil Aviation Division. If permission was granted, the flights would be from a pad next to Truscotts Road on Sunday, October 27, or if wet, on Labour Day. There would be J} minimum charge of alput $2O for a 10-minute flight, instead of the usual $27.

Halley’s Comet Heathcote County may be plunged into darkness at 3.30 a.m. each day between March 8 and April 27 next year to give people a better glimpse of Halley’s Comet The council’s works and reserves committee approved a request by the Canterbury Astronomical Society for street lights to be extinguished in the early hours of the morning during that period. The County Engineer, Mr David May, said he did not foresee any problems with accidents during the darkened hours. Mr May said it was not a precedent for the city, because street lights had been put out at a similar time two years ago to save power. The committee’s chairman, Cr Peter McGrail, said the comet came only once every 75 years. He. did not imagine there would be many people about at that time of the morning. Water The county’s water supply

came in for lively discussion at the meeting. The committee rejected a recommendation by the County Engineer that residents on Cashmere Hills be restricted in the use of hoses or sprinklers between November and March. Mr May had recommended that a sprinkler or unattended hose be limited to one a property, and that the residents be allowed to use the hoses on alternate days for restricted hours. Cr Simcock said Mr May seemed to have presupposed there would be a shortage of water during that time, and wanted to know when a water report on the area would be available. The report had been promised for a long time. Cr Fred Chapman said the shortage last year was' caused by mechanical failure at the station, not because of a lack of . water. Mr May said the county’s water supply was adequate, and that his recommendations were designed to cut waste of water. i Jj The committee decides, to hold the matter over for a month.