Christchurch City Council moves to resolve Strip dispute

15 June 2006

Christchurch City Council will invite submitters who took part in council hearings last year on the Public Streets Enclosures Policy and the related fees charged to appear again before the council.

Changes to the policy were made on 20 December 2005.  One element of those changes, relating to the rental charged by the Council for the use of public footpath space outside bars on the Oxford Terrace Strip, has resulted in a group of bar owners issuing legal proceedings against the Council.

“Delays experienced in the setting of the date for the hearing of this judicial review (the hearing is now set for 14 August) mean the council now has an opportunity to reconsider its 20 December 2005 decision,” says council solicitor Robert O’Connor.

“The Council has resolved to reconsider that decision in an attempt to bring the dispute to a conclusion satisfactory to both parties without the need to continue with the legal proceedings”, he says.

“As part of that process the council will be inviting the original submitters to appear before the full Council in relation to their submissions,” he says.

Involved are 10 submitters who were heard by a subcommittee.

● The 20 December report considered by council, and a links to the policy and earlier reports, is on the web at: www.ccc.govt.nz/council/proceedings/2005/december/cnclcover20th/supppubenclsubcommittee.pdf

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