Selwyn Times: October 10, 2017

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Tuesday October 10 2017 9
Bid to overcome sporting
facility zoning snag
• By Emily O’Connell
A ROAD block, which is in the
way of a Russian businessman’s
plan to expand his Yaldhurst
sporting facility, might be
cleared today.
Canterbury Sports Ltd director
Slava Meyn, who moved to
Christchurch in 2009, built the
Yaldhurst Football Academy two
years ago.
He is now in the process of
planning a bigger complex on
the 20ha block of land, which
would include a gymnastics
indoor stadium, swimming pool,
sport courts, and weights area.
But the land he wants to develop
is zoned Open Space Community
Park under the district
plan, which does not allow for
buildings larger than 1000 sq m.
Mr Meyn wants the zoning
to be changed to Open Space
Metropolitan Facilities Zone, so
he can progress the development
as planned.
Because Mr Meyn’s plans do
not comply, the project could be
delayed by up to five years with
resource and building consent
processes.
City council staff have been
looking into how it could change
PROPOSED: A swimming
complex like this is planned
for the Yaldhurst facility.
the zoning to allow the expansion
to go ahead.
They decided the best way to
do so was through the Greater
Christchurch Regeneration Act.
Today, the city council’s regulatory
performance committee
will decide whether to ask staff
to investigate a way of doing so
through the Act, and to report
back to city councillors.
It would require working with
Regenerate Christchurch and the
department of prime minister
and Cabinet.
It comes just as McDonald’s
has applied for resource consent
to the city council to build a new
restaurant and drive through opposite
the sporting facility.
The idea to speed up the
zone-changing process has been
supported by Sport Canterbury,
Christchurch Netball Centre,
Canterbury Basketball Association,
Mainland Football,
Canterbury Water Polo, Southern
Districts Football Club,
ChristchurchNZ, and Apollo
Projects – Aquatic and Sporting
Facilities, who all wrote to the
city council asking it to help
change the zoning.
Wigram MP Megan Woods
and Canterbury Employers’
Chamber of Commerce chief
executive Peter Townsend have
also written in support of using
the act to do so.
Dr Woods said it has the
potential to be a really good asset
for western Christchurch but the
community must be involved.
“I think what we absolutely
have to do is make sure that we
get the views of the community
in the process as well,” she said.
The existing football facility
has two full size artificial
football pitches, four artificial
mini-pitches, a full-size natural
turf pitch, clubroom facilities,
café, administrative offices,
grandstand seating for about
1000 people.
Local
News
Now
Fire rages, homes at risk
SPECTACULAR: The current football academy, funded mainly
by Slava Meyn and built in 2015. ​
CLEAR OUT: Lake Ellesmere/Te Waihora has successfully
opened to the sea. It was cut open on Sunday, October 1. A
media spokeswoman said the cut has developed well. The
cut survived the first high tide and is now about 35m wide. It
was recorded on September 22 the lake level reading was
0.99m, a calm average. The lake was last opened in July,
lasting 38 days.
PHOTO: MARK HAMILTON ​
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