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There is still no end date for a non-compliant wrecking yard on a rural Canterbury property.
It has been more than five years since the Selwyn District Council became aware of Giltrap Spares Ltd operating on a Curries Rd property in South Springston.
On September 1 last year, the district council was granted an Environment Court order forcing the property’s owners, Lawton and Elizabeth Giltrap, to cease the operation.
The enforcement order stated the Giltraps had 40 working days to prepare a removal plan for the council and, once approved, 60 working days to remove the vehicles.
The order also required the Giltraps to provide the council with a plan on how they would remove the vehicles.
It came after two abatement notices had failed to secure compliance.
Almost a year later, compliance has yet to be achieved.
Council building, planning and regulatory services executive director, Robert Love, said work to support the Giltraps to become compliant \was continuing through the Resource Management Act and District Plan.
“While good progress has been made to date, with a significant amount of the work now completed, more is still required to achieve full compliance with the enforcement order,” he said.
Love said the council has approved the removal plan but would not say when.
The council would not answer Selwyn Times’ questions about what remained to be done and if a deadline had been set for the Giltraps.
“Council continues to monitor the situation closely and work with the relevant parties to ensure the remaining requirements are addressed,” Love said.
Love would not answer a question about whether the business was still operating.
He said staff had been conducting visits.
“We are working with the property owner and plan to inspect the property again soon, as we have been doing under the enforcement order.”
The Giltraps did not respond to Selwyn Times.