I received this from Pauline Cotter, the Councillor for the Innes Ward. It is really impressive when a busy City Councillor is taking the time to watch the debates at the Tuesday Club on line and I thank her for her response. Here it is clarifying what was talked about a couple of weeks ago:
While watching the re run of the panel with Carl, Sara and Jim I would like to offer a clarification/correction of something Sara said. When you mentioned Edgeware village in the context of the masterplans, Sara stated that the St Albans community had declined both the project and the funding. This however is not exactly correct.
You, being a local, will know very well how hard the St Albans area was hit by the earthquake, and the intensity of the underground infrastructure repairs that went on and on. The Madras/Edgeware intersection was closed for @ 2 years due to the main waste water pipeline repair, and the Colombo/Edgeware intersection was also closed for a long period after the Madras/Edgeware was opened. These closures had a devasting effect on the local businesses at Edgeware village. But after these works were completed, the Papanui Parallel work began, and of course this runs right through the Edgware village. Several businesses there were by now a hairs breadth from folding.
So you can imagine when the masterplan went out for discussion, and revealed its planned construction works around Edgeware/Colombo, the business association down there threw up their hands, understandably, and said “ please give us a breather so we can revive our businesses, get our customers back”. So that is the reality; the masterplan work has been postponed a couple of years. To give the impression that the Edgeware Village and St Albans community refused funding to enhance their area is a little disingenuous, and shows a lack of understanding of what these guys have endured.
I just wanted to make that correction. Cheers
Pauline
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