Questions about hall's foundation

The Cromwell Memorial Hall. PHOTO: ODT FILES
The Cromwell Memorial Hall. PHOTO: ODT FILES
Investigations into the foundations of the Cromwell Memorial Hall need to be done now to avoid costly future alterations, a local architecture graduate says.

Jessie Sutherland told the Cromwell Community Board investigations into the foundations of the hall needed to be done, with modern technology, otherwise it could mean costly variations down the track.

``We already know that the majority of the structure is unfilled, unreinforced concrete block.

``I assume there will be no engineer, builder, designer or client that will sign off on a new building when a full understanding of the substructure and soil is found.''

It was important to complete the project in reasonable time for the people of Cromwell, so a dedicated steering group should be formed, reporting to the board, she told the board at its meeting last Friday.

Cromwell resident Helen Hucklebridge said it took lengthy consultation for the last set of hall plans to be accepted by the majority of the public.

Then board members last month voted 4-3 to halt work on the upgrade and find out the cost of building a new hall instead.

``If these previously accepted plans are changed in any way, it will mean that the public consultation process will have to begin again,'' Mrs Hucklebridge said.

She hoped even with the decision to investigate new options for building, the board would be successful in completing the project soon, as if the plans did not go ahead it would have ``deprived the majority of the community of what they wanted and needed''.

Of the 37 submissions relating to the board, 73% were about the Cromwell Hall upgrade, and of those, 89% wanted the upgrade.

Legal advice was sought after the last meeting on the board's decision to halt plans and whether earlier resolutions would need to be revoked.

The advice said it would cause no legal issues, but could be considered a ``governance failure''.

District council chief executive Leanne Mash said it was important for the board to be functioning properly due to ``increased scrutiny on local government'' following events such as the Westland District Council's granting a contract to an Auckland cake-maker to build a $7million sewage plant at Franz Josef.

jono.edwards@odt.co.nz

 

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