KEVIN STENT/Things
The case has been settled out of court, but since the construction of the Botanic Gardens-to-city cycle route has started, work on the Newtown cycle route will not start again until August. (File photo)
A row between local businesses and Wellington City Council over the Newtown-to-city bike path settled out of court.
Liam Hodgetts, the council’s chief planning officer, sent an email to councilors Friday night, saying that this resolution was “in the best interest of the parties moving forward on a more positive basis.”
However, as work on the Botanical Gardens-to-City Cycle Route had already begun, work on the Newtown Cycle Route was not expected to resume until August.
The project is on hold since early Junewhen the Supreme Court issued a provisional order to suspend construction from the bike path and bus lane to a full hearing in September.
READ MORE:
* Construction of controversial Wellington cycle path starts
* 150 parking spaces to go: Wellington Cycle Path a ‘king hit’ for Newtown businesses
* The Island Bay Cycle Route is up for debate. Again.
The request for a provisional provision of six local companieswhich was heard by Justice Simon France in Wellington High Court, claimed that the construction of the cycle path was illegal and had “significant and immediate” consequences for business.
The decision to settle out of court was taken in light of the judge’s ruling and recent comments from the Minister of Transport on the Government’s Reshaping Streets Programme, which was set up to update guidelines for municipalities to repurpose streets. to tighten up to encourage fashion shift.
Hodgetts wrote that the companies had agreed to withdraw their cases as long as the municipality did not rely on the “traffic management plan” method – a quick approach to make temporary changes to street space with plastic barriers and paint – and adhere to a “more common process for resolving traffic”.
MONIQUE FORD / STUFF
Grocery General Urmila Bhana’s family has run a grocery store in Newtown for 41 years, but says a planned bike path could spell the end of her business and others around her.
Myles Gazley, a spokesperson for the six-member business group and general manager of Gazely Motor Group, said it was “good that we reached a settlement, but it shouldn’t have even come to that”.
“It was a difficult decision to take our own city council to court, but we did it because it was an issue worth fighting,” he said.
“This is not about anti-cycling, and it never has been.”
He said the companies had dealt with “pretty nasty online abuse,” but Gazley said they were supporting more cycling and walking infrastructure, along with better public transportation.
However, it had to be done with “good consultation with the affected communities and companies” [and] plans that make sense”.
“We hope this process means we now have a better plan that works for the entire city and that taxpayers feel encouraged to make wise choices in the upcoming municipal elections.”