Tag: urban design

Simon’s August 2023 newsletter: Council apologises to our Board, approves cycleway

Council apology to our Community Board

In my last newsletter I noted my disappointment that no apology has been forthcoming from the elected Council for making decisions in March that were the Board’s responsibility to make, in relation to changes associated with the Rolleston Ave / Park Tce cycleway. Just days later, in an open meeting, the Council noted “…that pursuant to the decision-making authority delegated to Community Boards, the Waipapa Papanui-Innes-Central Community Board should have considered the Parking Changes on Gloucester Street & Hereford Street report than was inadvertently heard by Council at its 14 March 2023 meeting, and that Council apologise for the error”. I thank the Council for this and consider the matter closed.

For more Council & Community Board news, and updates from me, read the full August 2023 newsletter on Substack: simonbritten.substack.com

Update: Northlink development completion, and lights for the Greers/Langdons intersection

The Northlink retail development on Langdons Road in Papanui first opened in November 2018, and anchor tenant Kmart has been open since May 2020 – so what’s happening with the yet-unbuilt third block at the back of the site, and when will we see traffic lights at the increasingly-busy Greers Road / Langdons Road intersection?

Background

The resource consent for the second stage of the Northlink development encompasses what are referred to as Block A and Block B (which together form the building housing Kmart, Torpedo7, Bargain Chemist, and more) and Block C (not yet built, positioned at the back of the site). See the plan below:

Block C at the Northlink retail site in Papanui is shown on the right of this plan. It is located at the back of the site, and is yet to be built as at July 2023.

A condition of the resource consent was that Block C cannot be used “…until a contract has been let for the signalisation of the intersection of Langdons Road and Greers Road”.

Continue reading “Update: Northlink development completion, and lights for the Greers/Langdons intersection”

Keep Calm and Cycle On: only a minority opposed the Wheels to Wings cycleway

Is the Wheels to Wings – Papanui ki Waiwhetū major cycle route really ‘controversial’, or even ‘very controversial’, as some recent headlines* claimed, following the July decision of the council to approve the cycleway’s scheme design? The evidence suggests otherwise.

Continue reading “Keep Calm and Cycle On: only a minority opposed the Wheels to Wings cycleway”

Submission on Te Kaha multi-use arena budget consultation

I recently submitted to Council on the multi-use arena budget consultation.

I’m a member of the Waipapa/Papanui-Innes Community Board (and am standing for re-election this year) but made this submission on my own behalf. The Community Board has no role in decision-making on the area.

In the interests of transparency my submission follows:

Image credit: Christchurch City Council

Q: Should the Council: invest an additional up to $150 million to enable the project to continue as planned; stop the project altogether; or pause and re-evaluate the project?
A: Pause and re-evaluate the project

Q: What would you like to see us re-evaluate?
A: The scope, the funding model, the operating model, the business case, the climate impact.

Q: Do you have any further comments regarding the funding of Te Kaha – Multi-Use Arena?
A: General comment:
I am not against arenas. What I am against is spending more than what is needed on them. Just because the Government has given us money towards the cost of an arena, we shouldn’t waste money on an over-the-top design. After all, we as taxpayers are contributing to the Government’s portion of this project, as well as our ratepayer portion. As inflation bites on these projects, we have to be more frugal to make our hard-earned money go further. $500,000 a week for the next thirty years to finance the build? And then it’ll run at a loss of millions of dollars a year? And despite our climate & ecological emergency there’s been no consideration in the budget or business case of the climate impact of building and operating the venue?

Continue reading “Submission on Te Kaha multi-use arena budget consultation”

Board briefed on housing intensification

Earlier this month the Waipapa/Papanui-Innes Community Board received a public briefing from Christchurch City Council staff on rules regarding housing intensification. The purpose of this briefing was to provide an overview of the current planning rules regarding housing intensification as well as potential future changes coming from the Government, in response to community concerns regarding intensification.

Council staff had previously presented the same briefing to the Council’s Urban Development and Transport Committee, before embarking on a series of public briefings to Community Boards. In the case of our Board, a number of members of the public were in attendance and were able to ask questions of staff.

In a bid to improve access, our Board live-streams our public meetings so that those who cannot attend can follow along online, and/or view the recording afterwards. We do this on a best-efforts basis using our own technology at zero cost to the ratepayer – an approach that comes with some limitations. Embedded below is the video from the housing intensification briefing – as you will see this has been streamed using a single webcam with limited video quality. Staff giving the briefing can be heard very well, however some of the questions from the floor not so much – apologies for that.

Continue reading “Board briefed on housing intensification”