Tuesday, 23 September 2014

Key decisions from today’s Environmental Committee meeting

Christchurch City Council Environmental Committee met today, with the following key decisions outlined below:

Construction site hoardings rebate proposed
The Environmental Committee will recommend to the Council it considers offering rebates to developers of up to 50 percent for the ‘Temporary Use of Legal Road’ fees for qualifying hoardings projects.

Developers and construction companies whose hoardings are on public footpaths or roads are charged $7.50 a month per square metre, but that could be halved if the appearance of their hoardings are enhanced by art work or other interesting features that provide information about the various projects.

Draft tree removal policy for health reasons proposed
Following a report from the ‘Draft Tree Policy Working Party’, the Environmental Committee has asked staff to prepare a policy to go to Council that allows community boards to make decisions on the removal of Council-owned trees in exceptional circumstances.

In cases where there is factual evidence supported by medical advice that a tree is the cause of serious health issues to the applicant or their family, the tree will be removed by the Council. In these rare and specific circumstances the costs of removal and replacement of such trees is funded from the Council’s operational budgets.

Occupation of airspace on St Asaph Street sought
The Committee will recommend to the Council the granting of a licence to occupy airspace at the Boxed Quarter commercial development located at the corner of St Asaph Street and Madras Street.

The development design plans include features where the use of airspace over the roads will increase the floor area of the building. As the Council is the legal landowner of the roads beneath the airspace in question, the recommendation will seek to ensure that all the development plans are subject to approval by the Council's Asset and Network Planning Unit Manager and the Urban Design Panel.

- Ends -

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