Our Press Release 4 February 2009

MERIVALE PARKING PLAN CAMPAIGN

www.merivale.typepad.com

PRESS RELEASE

52 Murray Place

CHRISTCHURCH

  8014

Ph 3554 258. Fax 355 4882. Email glass@es.co.nz

4 February 2009

A severe blow was dealt to local democracy on

2 February 2009

when, despite many submissions from members of the public opposing it, a  committee of the Waimari/Fendalton Board approved the Proposed Merivale Parking Plan by 6 votes to 1. One Member of the Community Board, Faimeh Burke, voted against the Plan and said she voted against it because the people do not want it. 

 

The Committee members, Cheryl Colley, Sally Buck, Val Carter, Jamie Gough, Mike Wall and Andrew Yoon approved the plan on

2 February 2009

despite the fact that we tabled submissions at the meeting with signatures from 1,191 people opposing the proposed plan, of whom 1,055 people opposed it totally, including at least 510 Merivale residents. When we went door to door speaking to residents in their own homes there was overwhelming opposition to the Parking Plan as the figures show.

The Community Board had no mandate to approve the plan. The Council sent out 4,700 newsletters in the middle of 2008 and received an 8% response (ie 375 responses) as follows:

33% in support of the proposed Plan 123.75 people

40% opposed the plan                       150     people

27% gave no response                       101.25 people

In gathering the signatures we confirmed the written information  many Merivale residents and businesses posted to us in questionaires in December 2008 which is that there is great concern in the community about this matter and people do not want restricted parking. Merivale people were very upset when the City Council engaged engineers to mark the kerbs prior to the decision, in respect of which we await a satisfactory explanation and information requested under the Official Information Act.

Our consultation was public. See our website at www.merivale.typepad.com to read for yourself our written submissions to the Community Board, letters in respect of our consultation with Merivale residents and businesses and other documents. We are considering our next step, as to any rights of appeal, or judicial review.

We have seen the Press release issued on

3 February 2009

by the Fendalton/Waimairi Community Board’s Works, Traffic and Environment Committee in which Mrs Val Carter incorrectly referred to our submissions as a petition (twice).  I telephoned Mrs Carter and she apologised for the error. As to the Committee’s unfounded criticism of the signatures, the submissions and original signatures are on the Council file in two bound volumes. Go and have a look.

Sheryn Gillard Glass and Cathy Solomon.