The Star: November 16, 2017

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Thursday November 16 2017 7
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Funeral home review cost $50k
• By Bridget Rutherford
IT HAS cost ratepayers more
than $50,000 for the judicial
review into a suburban funeral
home in Fendalton, prompting
calls for a budget to be used in
similar situations.
Independent commissioner
Philip Milne granted resource
consent for Bell, Lamb and Trotter
to operate a “funeral satellite
office” from a
house on Rochdale
St in April.
Residents
fiercely against
the plan formed
the Rochdale
Precinct Society
David East
and took the
battle to the
High Court for a two-day judicial
review last week.
Justice Susan Thomas has
reserved her decision.
City council head of legal
services John Higgins said it was
obliged to process resource consent
applications and be party to
a judicial review if there was one.
“So far the external costs
associated with judicial review
proceedings are $57,710.06.”
He said it did not include the
cost of last week’s judicial review
as the city council had not yet
been invoiced for that.
Originally, the city council
declined the application. But
Bell, Lamb and Trotter asked for
an independent commissioner to
rule on it.
It was approved under the
“home occupation” provisions
of the new District Plan, as Bell,
Lamb and Trotter managing
director Andrew Bell said he was
living there.
Regulatory performance committee
chairman city councillor
David East said the city council
did not budget for costs incurred
through resource consent appeals,
such as Rochdale St.
He said the city council was
looking into whether money
could be set aside in the long
term plan for those costs.
“We’re now looking at whether
we can increase the budget for
the building consent and resource
consent and enforcement
unit.”
Rochdale St resident David
Nicholls said it was now a waiting
game to see what Justice
Thomas’ decision would be
WAITING
GAME:
Justice
Susan
Thomas has
reserved
her decision
on whether
a funeral
home can
operate from
a Fendalton
house.
PHOTO:
MARTIN
HUNTER
before the society decided on its
next step.
“We’ll just have to see.”
At last week’s review, the
society’s lawyer Prudence Stevens
QC said Mr Bell did not
appear to be living at the address
permanently, and it should have
been processed as a commercial
service activity.
Bell, Lamb and Trotter said
26 services for up to 10 people
would be held at the house, providing
a more “homely environment”
for people apprehensive
about funeral homes.
Rugby coach
complaint
dropped
• By Andrew King
A COMPLAINT about a
West Melton rugby coach who
grabbed a young Lincoln player
after an altercation on the field
has been dropped.
The under-14.5s coach Amanda
Tomlinson previously told
The Star she grabbed the player
by his collar after he kicked
someone from her team in the
mouth during a match in July.
A complaint was lodged with
the Canterbury Rugby Football
Union which investigated the
matter, but it has been dropped.
CRFU chief executive Nathan
Godfrey said he believes the
complaint has been withdrawn.
Ellesmere Rugby Union president
Stuart Boon confirmed
there will be no further action
against Ms Tomlinson.
Ms Tomlinson said she did
not want to make any comment
about the incident when
contacted yesterday, but said she
had been through hell.
Police have also dropped the
assault charge against her.
In July Ms Tomlinson said she
was upset a complaint had been
laid.
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