Council to charge derelict property owners for using public spaces
Containers are stacked six high on the footpath in front of this former Sol Square building, on Lichfield St.
Owners of derelict central Christchurch sites including the Christ Church Cathedral will soon be charged for encroaching on public space.
Christchurch City Council is upping the ante on derelict property owners and will charge them a monthly fee for using public spaces including footpaths and roads.
Christ Church Cathedral is one of 13 properties on the proposed list, along with the Post Office building in Cathedral Square, five High St properties, The Peterborough apartments complex and the council's own Our City building on the corner of Oxford Tce and Worcester St.
Christ Church Cathedral is one of 13 properties on a list of derelict properties about to be billed for using public spaces including footpaths and roads.
In May last year, the council targeted 30 downtrodden properties and vacant lots in central Christchurch, known as the "Dirty 30". The properties, labelled as "barrier sites" by the council, were identified as a potential risk to the public and a barrier to the city's rebuild progress. The list has since reduced by more than half, but there were still properties where little or no progress had occurred and these properties were being targeted by the charge.
READ MORE:
* 'Dirty 30' downsize: Eight eyesore sites remain in central Christchurch
* Rebuild minister wants Christ Church Cathedral cleaned up next week
* Christ Church Cathedral mess a 'bloody disgrace'
A council report, to be discussed at Wednesday's Infrastructure, Transport and Environment Committee meeting, said the council intended to charge the 13 property owners leasing fees of $15.30 per square metre per month.
A vast section of High St remains closed as buildings are repaired, but the council has run out of patience and will charge property owners for encroaching on its land.
According to the report the average area of road and footpath occupied by a barrier site was about 240m2 and equated to a monthly fee of $3672. The fees would be applied to the relevant properties by August 1.
City councillor Jamie Gough said the crackdown on the barrier sites was always going to include a "carrot and a stick". The council had made a number of efforts to work with property owners, but sometimes "hitting them in the pocket" could be more effective.
He said restaurants and bars paid the council to use public spaces, so the same would apply to the derelict sites.
The owner of the Post Office building in Cathedral Square will be charged for using public space under new plans by Christchurch City Council to crack down on derelict sites.
Gough said the lack of action on the Christ Church Cathedral site was disappointing, despite there being some encouraging signals from owners Church Property Trustees in April.
"It's overgrown. There is a lot of encroachment into the public realm and we're not seeing any effort coming from the owners to tidy up their site or make the best out of a bad situation. That leaves us with little option but to ramp up the policy and hit them in the pocket."
Gough acknowledged there were plans in place to rebuild the cathedral, but he said that did not address the short term issues.
The council will charge itself for using its own land as its building Our City on the corner of Oxford Tce and Worcester St, is yet to be repaired.
"This is about addressing the now because people still have to live in the city today."
He said if some tangible effort had been made to tidy up the cathedral site, the council would have been more than sympathetic to the cathedral's plight, but it had been seven years and weeds were growing all over the site.
"You get to a point where (you think) they might just be taking the mickey and charging for encroaching on the public space might change their attitude."
Church Property Trustees general manager Gavin Holley said he could not comment on the issue and referred Stuff/The Press to its communications adviser.
Council head of urban design, regeneration and heritage Carolyn Ingles said it was time to step up the pressure on owners of the targeted properties.
"For 12 months we have provided support and advice to owners of those properties to encourage action on their sites, but unfortunately there has been little or no physical progress.
"It is important we get action on these sites because we want to create a more positive impression of parts of our central city," she said.
The properties where temporary use of legal road fees are likely to be applied are:
- 167-169 Hereford St (Hereford Chambers)
- 129 High St (Duncan's Buildings)
- 141 High St (Duncan's Buildings)
- 158 High St (Cotter's)
- 201 High St (Victoria Black facade)
- 235 High St (former Hunters and Collectors)
- 92 Lichfield St (part of Sol Square)
- 96 Lichfield St (Living Space)
- 31 Cathedral Square (Former Post Office building)
- 100 Cathedral Square (Christchurch Cathedral)
- 25 Peterborough St (Peterborough Apartments)
- 159 Oxford Tce (Our City)
- Stuff
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