22 March, 2012

Council aims for walkway/cycleway at Noble Village

Christchurch City Council staff have been asked to continue to work with the developer of the Noble Village subdivision at Yaldhurst on building a joint walkway/cycleway connecting to other cycle lanes in the area.

The Council made the decision on the proposed walkway/cycleway separate from the road following a request from the Riccarton/Wigram Community Board for a judicial review into the Council’s granting of the Noble Village subdivision original consent in 2009, and a subsequent variation in 2011.

The Noble Village subdivision is an area of land at 473-475 Yaldhurst Road which is in the Living G (Yaldhurst) zone. Physical works on the site of the 304 residential lots began in 2009.

Councillor Sue Wells, chair of the Council’s Regulatory and Planning Committee, says the Council today ruled out seeking a judicial review against itself following very clear legal advice from Simpson Grierson.

“We considered the advice in the public excluded section of today’s meeting. We are now taking the very unusual step of releasing this legally privileged information publicly so that there is clear understanding as to why we are not proceeding with a judicial review against ourselves,” Councillor Wells says.

“The Council is very happy to ask staff to try and work with the developer to see if we can get a joint walkway/cycleway - an idea which came from an independently facilitated public meeting in January. However, we will not be applying to the High Court for a judicial review of our own decision.”

Councillor Wells says the Council accepts that there has been a great deal of unhappiness among certain parts of the community about this subdivision.

“Today’s decision will not bring that unhappiness to a close. However, the reality is that the best way forward does not involve the Council taking itself to court.

ENDS

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