23 December 2014

Proposed new road attracts 45 submissions

Forty-five submissions have been received on the proposed Northern Arterial Extension (NAE), including Cranford Street upgrade (CSU), and Cranford stormwater area (CSA).

The submissions were on proposals to provide a new road (the NAE) between QEII Drive and Cranford Street, changing Cranford Street to provide four lanes with a raised median and cycle lanes, removal of on-street parking, a new roundabout where Cranford Street joins the NAE, and a pedestrian and cycling overbridge. The CSA project includes creation of a wetlands area.

The submission period closed on Friday 19 December.

Of the 45 submissions, 37 opposed the NAE/CSU either in full or in part, two were in full support, two supported in part, one both supported in part and opposed in part, and two were neutral.

The single submission on the CSA was in opposition to it.

More submissions which have not yet been collated may have been received at Council service centres.

Key submitters included Canterbury District Health Board, Placemakers, the Northern Arterial Action Network, St Albans Residents Association, St Albans School, Blind Foundation, Spokes Canterbury, Foodstuffs Ltd, Mico and various individual residents or property owners including a group from Courtenay Street.

Submissions also closed on Friday for a related Transport Agency project, the Northern Arterial. Of the 27 submissions received on this project, 17 were opposed and four in support. Four supported in part and two were neutral.

A commissioner will be appointed to consider submissions and a hearing is likely to be held in April.

Christchurch City Council's Acting Chief Operating Officer Michael Aitken says this number of submissions is about what was expected.

"More than half the number of people, organisations or businesses who made submissions also want to speak at the hearing so it is likely to last a few days," Aitken says.

ENDS

© Scoop Media