City council chief disappoints residents' group

A petition with 542 signatures calling for the Hornby leisure centre to not be delayed was sent...
A petition with 542 signatures calling for the Hornby leisure centre to not be delayed was sent to the city council earlier this week. Photo: File
A residents' association says it feels saddened, disappointed and ignored after Christchurch City Council chief executive Dawn Baxendale declined an invitation to speak with members.

An invitation to speak with the association was extended to Baxendale to discuss its dissatisfaction with the public consultation process over the south express major cycle route.

Association vice-chairman Mark Peters, who is also a Halswell-Hornby-Riccarton Community Board member, said the association had “serious safety concerns” around the plan for the Gilberthorpes Rd, Parker St and Waterloo Rd intersection approved under the south express major cycle route.

“What we are concerned about is that the cycle route plan only puts on a set of lights on the Parker St/Gilberthorpes Rd intersection to allow cyclists to try and pass and it ignores Waterloo Rd,” he said.

A city council spokeswoman said Baxendale declined to meet with the association as she felt robust public consultation had already been undertaken on the matter.

Peters said the association was saddened and disappointed by the declined invitation and felt ignored by the city council.

Dawn Baxendale. Photo: Geoff Sloan
Dawn Baxendale. Photo: Geoff Sloan
The association was also wanting to voice its concerns around the Hornby leisure centre possibly being delayed due to the Covid-19 crisis.

The city council is currently reconsidering its finances as it looks to adjust its Annual Plan to account for the $99 million revenue shortfall it faces from the Covid-19 crisis, potentially putting some projects at risk of being delayed.

Earlier this week a petition with 542 signatures calling for the Hornby leisure centre to not be delayed was sent to the city council.

A city council spokeswoman said no decision had been made around the future of the facility as of yet.