Majestic Church won’t appeal council decision

The Majestic Church has decided not to appeal Christchurch City Council’s rejection of its application to build on the corner of Kilmore and Montreal streets.

Senior minister Leo Hanssen says, there are pragmatic reasons for the Church’s stance, including the time and cost involved in appealing the decision.

“We also feel we need to take a breath and think about our next steps,” he says. “We do know that we are still very committed to assisting the recovery of the city. One of the best ways we can do this is by developing world class amenities that are community-focused and complimentary to our Christian faith.”

The Church’s original proposal was to build a multimillion-dollar community complex, designed by Melbourne architect Koos de Keijzer, on the former Cranmer Courts site. A commissioner, appointed by the Christchurch City Council, rejected the Church’s resource consent application, saying the development did not fit within the site’s Living 4C zoning.

Mr Hanssen says the Church will be “taking time to talk to people, listen and reflect” before it makes any further decisions.

“Although we haven't had the go ahead for developing the Cranmer Courts site, there are plenty of other options open to us,” he says.

ENDS

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