Decision reserved on gondola appeal

Press, 20 February 1988, Page 11

Decision reserved on gondola appeal

The Planning Tribunal has reserved decision on Payeo Developments’ Mount Cavendish gondola appeal. The appeal hearing ended yesterday after eight days. There were no summ-ings-up by counsel but Mr Tony Hearn, Q.C., counsel for the appellant, will if he desires be able to submit his summation in writing. Mr Norman Sheppard, the property owner immediately adjacent to the proposed gondola’s base station, artificial ski slope and toboggan run, gave evidence yesterday. His counsel, Mr Roger Sime, submitted that a specified departure was needed for the entire development and not as sub-

mitted by Mr Hearn, a conditional use. If the tribunal considered the proposal on a zone-by-zone basis the ski slope and toboggan run should be disallowed, Mr Sime said. Mr Sheppard said that he and Mrs Patricia Sheppard, his wife, were against the entire development and considered it would create too much noise, increased traffic past their home, and spoil their rural outlook. Earlier, Mr Les Bloxham, a Christchurch journalist specialising in travel writing, gave evidence that the gondola would be “superfluous” because views were already available from the Summit Road. Mr Bloxham presented

a survey which he made of 130 overseas visitors this year. The results showed that just 4 per cent of those surveyed believed a gondola would be desirable. Tribunal members, Mr Sime, and Mr Nicholas Till, for both the Lyttelton Borough and Heathcote County councils, inspected the Mount Cavendish summit and the gondola base station site yesterday afternoon. During the eight-day hearing the trubunal heard from more than 20 expert witnesses and objectors. The tribunal comprised Judge Treadwell (chairman), Mesdames E. M. Jakobsson and A. L. McMillan and. Mr R. G. Bishop.