Agencies may have to move

Press, 7 October 1988, Page 5

Agencies may have to move

Voluntary social service agencies receiving free rent at 203 Gloucester Street might have to shift because of uncertainties over the present lease. The agencies housed there, including the Citizens’ Advice Bureau, the Volunteer Centre, Tenants’ Protection Agency, the District Council of Social Services and

the community work training group, use the property rent free from the Christchurch City Council. The land, however, now belonged to the new Metropolitan Electricity Board, which could not guarantee the long-term future use, said the senior community worker in the council’s community service division, Mr Mike Reid. The council was therefore considering moving the agencies to new premises somewhere else in the inner city. Agencies such as Citizens’ Advice also needed more space anyway, he said. The council would still support the present agencies, but whether the rent would continue to be free was undecided, said Mr Reid. It was possible new, larger premises could also be provided for a wider group of voluntary agencies, which would eventually be able to share resources and administrative costs, he said.