Case put for hotel extension

Press, 15 April 1986, Page 9

Case put for hotel extension

Christchurch and the South Island will be the long-term losers if proposed extensions to the Chateau Regency Hotel are not approved, said Mr Bruce Barker, regional liaison officer in the Tourist and Publicity Department

Mr Barker told the Riccarton Borough Council’s town-planning committee that 25 per cent of all international visitors to New Zealand came through Christchurch, and half of these spent at least one night in the city. “If these people cannot be accommodated' in (jjiristchurch there Fis a

real possibility they will not come to the South Island,” he said.

By 1989 Christchurch would need two additional large tourist hotels, quite apart from those now being built or extended, he said. Mr Barker gave evidence to the committee, supporting extensions to the Chateau Regency Hotel. The extensions would include 130 new guest rooms, an on-site laundry, a new conference facility, and additions to an existing restaurant.

Because the site is zoned Residential C 4 the application to the cqt&icil

was for a specified departure from the District Scheme.

The sole objection to the extension application came from two residents of Kilmarnock Street in Riccarton who argued in their submission that it was necessary to protect neighbouring residential areas.

These objectors were not totally opposed to the extensions because the existing hotel was of a high standard and was an asset to the borough. The objection would be met provided bus parking, turning, and warming-up areas did not face nearby

houses and that proposed townhouses at the northwest corner of the site were built within five years, they said.

The committee heard two other applications to build accommodation facilities in the borough. The first was an application by Northwest Construction, Ltd, to build a tourist complex with 110 motel units at the corner of Riccarton Road and Bartlett Street. The complex would also include a restaurant, lounge bar, conference room, and swimming pool.

The second application, Bryan Mullaly, was

for a motel at the corner of Riccarton Road and Mona Vale Avenue. An earlier application by Mr Mullaly’ had been approved but changes had been made to the original plans. Both applications required the planning approval of the committee and in both cases the Canterbury United Council was the only objector.

The United Council’s objection to both applications was that they would cause traffic problems in Riccarton Road. The committee reserved decision on all three applications. £