Should part of Victoria St be closed to vehicles?

Nicole Mathewson Reporter from The Press

By local democracy reporter Jonathan Leask:

Developer Justin Skilling (pictured) and fellow developer Robert Grice
are proposing the Ashburton District Council considers closing part of Victoria St off to vehicles to make a laneway.

The pair have been restoring the old buildings along Victoria St - the Triangle precinct - and have big plans for continued major redevelopment.

Skilling formally presented his proposal at the first of four submission hearings for the council's long-term plan on Monday.

He presented his idea for the council to extend its CBD rejuvenation project into the Triangle Precinct and develop the streetscape from where Wills St and Victoria St divide by the Devon Hotel, all the way down to Baring Square East.

Looking at closing the section of Victoria St off now was “the perfect opportunity” given the conversations around the future of the Balmoral Hall site and the possibility of creating an arts and hospitality precinct, extending to the Events Centre, Skilling said.

There was also the opportunity to redevelop the old polytech land next to the Balmoral Hall into a car park that could cater to long-term parking, he said.

His submission was the last of the day. Earlier, DanceWorx dance studio teachers Charmaine Quaid and Jessie Thompson presented their case to councillors to retain Balmoral Hall.

They both want the council to consider a “modest upgrade” of the building to retain its affordability, both for ratepayers and potential users.

Quaid spoke of her grave concerns that the hall's fate would be decided by the $1.3m price tag to fix it up and she didn’t want to see the building “levelled down to a piece of tarmac”.

The future of stockwater was one of the main themes on Monday, with the hearing kicking off with submissions from Rangitata Diversion Race Management Ltd, Ashburton Lyndhurst Irrigation Limited, and Barrhill Chertsey Irrigation Ltd.

The hearings continue with a full day today, a half-day on Wednesday and the final day on Thursday.

Councillors will then make decisions on the long-term plan during deliberations on May 20-23.

The final plan is scheduled to be adopted in June.