Regulations ‘unfair and petty’

Press, 2 November 1989, Page 6

Regulations ‘unfair and petty’

By

SUSAN COOK

Zoning regulations preventing a Riccarton shop from selling towels while it is able to sell furniture are unfair and petty, according to the managing director of Cargo King (NZ), Mr Peter Day.,

Cargo King, at 70 Riccarton Road, will appeal to the Christchurch City Council for a special dispensation from the regulations that >revent it from operating fully.

Mr Day said other retailers on the north side of Riccarton Road did not comply with the regula-. tions, but his company was-c singled out because it was from Auckland. He said he believed some larger companies in the area had put pressure on the Riccarton Borough Council earlier tins year to enforce the regulations. A smaller premises had been opened on thfe south side of the road to sell items that could not be sold from the main shop.

However, this was only a shortterm solution, said Mr Day. “We are going to try for a dispensation from the new council, but if that is not allowed, we will probably have to relocate out of Riccarton,” he said. A town-planning officer with the council’s Riccarton service centre, Ms Jane Donaldson, said the regulations were, in force because of the proximity of the shops to a low-density residential zone and to restrict foot traffic across a busy section of the road.

■"L. She said some retailers were permitted to sell goods otMr than those in the regulations because they had been operating before the regulations cameW° force. The South Island area manig er of Cargo King, Mr Jeff Walker, said he was encouraging .« us ' tomers to protest to the council. “A survey carried out in? our shop and among other retailers in the area .ended up with °w’ 20 pages Af support .fir °® r position,” he said.