Red tape hobbles horse hire trials at Hagley Park

Press, 6 September 1989, Page 9

Red tape hobbles horse hire trials at Hagley Park

By

KAY FORRESTER

Hagley’s horse hire trial will not begin this year. Ms Maryrose Leversedge has told the Christchurch City Council that delays in getting permission to stage the trial for the hire meant she could not begin it as planned in September or October.

Members of the council’s parks and recreation committee were yesterday sympathetic to Ms Leversedge, but set a time limit for the trial. If the trial is not begun by Sep-tember-October next year approval for it will be rescinded. Cr Clive Cotton acknowledged Ms Leversedge faced difficulties but said the trial could not be left indefinitely. Ms Leversedge was last month given approval for a two-year trial of the hire venture in Hagley Park after arguing that the original six-month trial did not offer any security for her investment.

She told councillors that she now had to go back to the Riccarton Borough Council for an extension of approval for her temporal use of garages for stabling. She will seek the approval given for a six month trial to be extended to two years. Cr Cotton said delays had been caused by the City Council changing its original requirements. It was only fair to give Ms Leversedge more time. Woolston centre Planning permission has been granted for the Woolston communnity centre in Woolston Park. The centre was proposed by Cr Cotton several years ago before he was a councillor and he welcomed the decision that finally gave the centre’s construction the go-ahead as a “dream fulfilled.” Gardens plan £ draft management

plan for the Botanic Gardens will be available for public comment. The committee yesterday approved the plan, which was publicly notified last month. Key points in the plan are: • The need to reinforce and extend the educational and botanic role of the Gardens. • The need to develop a unique character based on the promotion of Canterbury flora. • The need to provide for extensions to the Botanic Gardens through developing parts of Hagley Park and satellite gardens in other city parks. Big projects Major developments totalling more than $3 million have been achieved by the Christchurch City Council parks and recreation department in the last three years, says of the committee that ad-

ministers the department.

Cr Clive Cotton yesterday singled out the Victoria Square redevelopment ($1.6 million), the Cuthberts Green softball complex ($1.3 million) and the Botanic Gardens Information Centre ($190,000) as achievements.

In three years the department had built 15 children’s playgrounds, 10 toilet blocks, bought 11 reserves and completed or begun 11 management plans for reserves, he said.

Other works included landscaping of reserves, tree planting, foreshore protection works, irrigation and drainage schemes for parks, building upgrading and an artificial surface at Porritt Park.

Many works improved Christchurch’s Garden City image and most were of major significance to local communities. r