Bay Harbour: July 17, 2019

Wednesday July 17 2019
News
Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Historic hotel on the market
• By Jess Gibson
THIRTY YEARS of running
and owning The Grand Hotel
has led to a long list of memories
for well-known Akaroa
personality Eric Ryder.
Among them was the time his
pet cockatoo, James, escaped his
cage during
the night.
“He perched
on a tap handle,
pouring
hundreds of
litres of beer
onto the floor
Eric Ryder
of the bar and
draining the
HISTORY: Akaroa’s 136-year-old Grand Hotel is on the market with two neighbouring historic
cottages and a large-scale development site covering almost 4000 sq m of land.
tank dry. That was a hilarious
insurance claim,” he said.
Now, the 74-year-old has
put the town’s oldest hotel on
the market, together with two
neighbouring historic cottages
and a large-scale development
site covering almost 400 sq m of
land.
Located at 4-16 Rue Lavaud,
the popular two-storey hotel,
restaurant and bar are at the
gateway to the Akaroa township.
It was built in 1883 and retains
much of its historic charm and
some of its original features.
Serving as a member on the
late Akaroa Community Board
for 18 years, Mr Ryder was the
main driver in creating the oneway
traffic system in the Akaroa
township that has helped to
create a real tourism hub and
alleviate many traffic issues.
He built many houses in
Akaroa over the years and
bigger projects included the
construction of the La Maison
Restaurant and the school gymnasium.
“I’ve loved it in Akaroa. It’s
the people who’ve kept me here
so long. It’s a small town where
everyone helps everyone. Back
in 1989 when we were snowed
in for 10 days, the Grand was
the only place with a generator
and gas and in the three big
earthquakes the building was
unscathed.”
Colliers marketing agent
Courtney Doig said the property
represents a variety of development
opportunities.
The building’s exterior and
the two neighbouring cottages
are protected from being demolished
but new owners would be
permitted to renovate the inside
of the building.
The property is for sale by
deadline private treaty closing
August 8, unless sold prior.
BAY HARBOUR
PAGE 7
Local
News
Now
More peninsula
speed limits
set to drop
Fire rages, homes at risk
• By Jess Gibson
MORE SPEED limits are set to
drop around the Banks Peninsula,
some by 80km/h.
The city council approved more
than 40 speed limit reductions
around the Akaroa Harbour, bay
and Little River areas at its meeting
on Thursday.
It comes after its decision
last month to lower the speeds
limits on Summit Rd and its side
streets to help improve safety on
the road.
High-risk travel routes, roads
near small settlements, unsealed
roads and roads where pedestrians
are likely to be present will all see
reductions within the next six to
eight weeks.
On Childrens Bay Rd, the
speed will drop from 100km/h
to 20km/h as it is highly used by
vehicles and pedestrians, unsealed
and has a blind corner.
The entire length of Wainui
Main Rd will be reduced from
100km/h and 70km/h to 60km/h
as it is a high-risk rural route and
has been ranked seventh out of 32
city council priority routes.
Other changes will be made to
roads in Akaroa, the French Farm
and Wainui route, Gebbies Pass
and valley, Le Bons Bay, Little
River, Little Akaloa, Takamatua,
Duvauchelle and Okains Bay.
Loss of income and damage concern to property
•From page 1
However, regardless of outcome,
the plan to lay a pipeline through
Heathcote and Woolston would
have remained the same.
“We’re addressing each
complaint individually and
working with our contractor
to find a solution for residents.
Complaints are followed up with
emails or phone calls from the
project manager and face-to-face
engagement with the contractor,”
Mr Adamson said.
Mr Foxton-McCulloch, who is
the ex-chairman of the Heathcote
Valley Community Association,
was not aware of the consultation
or the drop-in session in 2015.
The only mention of Scruttons
Rd in the consultation document
was to say that the pipeline would
be installed there, as well as in
Godley, Simeon, Norwich and
Gladstone Quays and Port Hills,
and Ferry Rds. It did not mention
anything about disruption to
nearby properties during the
installation of the pipeline.
The city council received 44
submissions in response to the
consultation, five opposed the
project and there was no mention
of Scruttons Rd.
Instead, Mr Foxton-
McCulloch said he found out
about the work which was going
to be done when he saw people
working outside his property and
called the city council.
In an email to the city council,
Mr Foxton-McCulloch said “the
appalling lack of communication
between the city council, those
who you subcontract with and
the people who pay all of your
wages is staggering.”
Mr Foxton-McCulloch and Ms
Foxton have had to temporarily
shut their home-based business
Castle Rock Estate due to the
ongoing disturbance, resulting in
a “massive loss of income.”
“We even left to get away for
a week of sanity,” Mr Foxton-
McCulloch said.
Mr Foxton-McCulloch is
concerned that the work may
eventually lead to damage to their
property with all of the shaking
and banging.
He is also concerned over the
use of a temporary Bailey bridge
to replace the old Scruttons Rd
bridge.
“To have a Bailey bridge
brought up from Timaru to
be thrown over the old bridge
just until the job is finished
seems a huge waste of time
and ratepayer money when
the bridge is supposedly due to be
upgraded next year.”
THe pipeline will run from
the Heathcote side of Tunnel
Rd, under Bridle Path Rd and
through Port Hills Rd to Mauger
Drive and Scruttons Rd.
It will go under the councilowned
paddocks parallel to
Tunnel Rd, under the Heathcote
River and connect to the
Woolston pump station in Alport
Place.
“It’s a necessary evil but the
way they have gone about it
is totally wrong,” Mr Foxton-
McCulloch said.
Fulton Hogan refused to
comment.
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