139-year-old church on move

Arrowtown parishioners are "delighted, relieved and looking forward" after commissioners last week approved the relocation of the 139-year-old Miller's Flat Church from beside St John's Presbyterian Church to a site near the historic miners' cottages.

"Conditions were pretty much as the [Arrowtown] trust proposed, so there's nothing we can't work with and sit out the 15-working day appeal period," St John's Church Building Committee chairman Bruce Patton said.

The obsolete timber church was given by the Wakatipu Community Church (Presbyterian) to the Arrowtown Trust, which is responsible for the miners' cottages.

Shifting the church by crane and truck would cost an estimated $20,000.

The reinstatement of walls and the original porch, plus refurbishment, replumbing, and interior and exterior redecorating to make the church suitable for lease could cost $80,000 to $100,000.

Trust chairman David Clarke said he and trustees were pleased with the approval and that the church would have a new public use and it would remain in Arrowtown.

He said the next phase was to secure funding from community trusts.

Poplar Lodge owners Jackie Sly and Aidin May submitted against the relocation over concerns about increased traffic and noise on Romans Lane.

Ms May said it was a shame Arrowtown would lose some of its open space and there was not a better location for the Miller's Flat Church to be appreciated.

The quiet nature of the unsealed Romans Lane would change with the increase in traffic to the commercially reused church, she said.

"It's a shame the Arrowtown Trust hasn't put a plan regarding the redevelopment of the cottages as a whole for the community to view. I feel there's a lot of people who'd want their say."

Ms May said she had not read the consent decision yet and could not comment on whether she and Mr May were satisfied with the conditions, or if they would lodge an appeal.

Commissioners Andrew Henderson and Sally Middleton said, in their decision, that in this instance it was appropriate to relocate the Miller's Flat Church.

The building had been moved twice since it was built in 1871.

The commissioners said it was important the New Zealand Historic Places Trust was satisfied with the application, "and overall we are satisfied that there will be no adverse effects on the heritage value of the church building or the cottages with which it is to be associated".

Mr Anderson and Ms Middleton said the building was unlikely to be used as a church again.

One of the most effective means of protecting a historic building was adapting it.

Its use as a gallery, or small office, would not generate significant amounts of traffic on Romans Lane.

No parking was being provided but large areas of public parking were nearby.

The commissioners decided the former church may open to the public between 8.30am and 8pm daily.

It could stay open until 9.30pm on 12 nights a year for art exhibitions.

The owners of Poplar Lodge would be told of the start date and likely duration of works by the trust.

Construction was permitted between 8am and 6pm.

The Poplar Lodge owners would be given a contact number of the contractor to notify in case works started before or after those hours.