TRENTHAM PARKING

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 271, 12 August 1938, Page 6

TRENTHAM PARKING

Discussion Of Position

Following a meeting between the Upper Hutt Borough Council, .Miss D. Bray, representing the AVellington Racing Club, and Messrs. E. I’alliser (executive member) and AV. A. Sutherland (secretary) of the Automobile Association (VV cllington) last night regarding race meeting parking arrangements, it was decided that the parties confer at a later date when they could inspect the locality concerned together. Giving the council s viewpoint, tne mayor, Mr. I’. Robertson, said that there • had been complaints made to the council regarding local tradespeople being denied entry to the closed streets on race days. In the course of investigating the . complaints the council found that residents in those streets to which cars were diverted were al>x> dissatisfied witli the position. There was also the question of damage caused to the haunches of streets by car parking and the inconvenience to the council staff of having to clear up litter left by motorists in the streets. Two Courses of Action. In his opinion there were two courses of action open. The first was for the council to take over the racing club’s outside parking area and to act in conjunction with the Transport Department in controlling traffic. The other was for the council to close all streets on race days, thus putting tlie onus on the racing club of providing for ail the race traffic. It had to be remembered that the traffic came to Upper Hutt for the express purpose of attending the race meetings, and not for many reasons connected with the borough. Previous Position. Mr. Palliscr stated that at one time there was.chaos in the control of traffic in the vicinity of the racecourse. Consequently the association offered to take control of traffic inside the course. At a conference of interested parties it was stated that there was confusion created with traffic entering and leaving streets, interference with residents as the result of parking in front of their homes, and interference with the free transference of horses from stables by reason of parking on haunches. As a result the previous council decided to close certain streets on race days. The racing chib, realising that it must afford protection against the interference created and provide accommodation for motorists, secured an outside parking area on which there had been expenditure to make it suitable and on which further expense would be incurred in improvement. 'l’lie charge for parking in this area was nominal (one shilling a car), and this facility was provided at the risk of affecting tjie half-crown park the club had on its own property. The risk of this was indicated by the fact that the shilling park filled up first. The whole provision had been made in good faith and there had been no intention of interfering with local traffic.