Design out of scale with area

I certainly support the notion that Redcliffs could benefit from a stylish block of apartments. However, the boxy, bunker style as proposed by Fletcher Living, to go up on the empty Four Square corner site can only be described as a huge blot on the landscape in terms of its design concept.

It’s completely out of scale in terms of that which surrounds it. Frankly, Redcliffs deserves something more sympathetic and appealing.

Rodney Laredo, Akaroa

Local response

The territorial ambitions of the Christchurch City Council over its neighbours (Make us a super city - council, March 4) are unlikely to provide any benefit to those residents.

A huge new unitary council risks distancing communities from the services vital to them and from meaningful input to local government decision-making. The recent floods demonstrate the value of a local response.

In the UK a recent report indicated the public have little support for establishing unitary councils and want local government to remain local. Localism does not support centralisation.

The underlying issue facing local government in New Zealand is funding. The current model, with an over-reliance on rates, is no longer fit for purpose and is unsustainable for communities. The Productivity Commission has looked at this in the past and hopefully the Future for Local Government Review will do the same.

There is already collaboration at a local level with the Greater Christchurch Partnership, comprising Christchurch City, ECan, Selwyn and Waimakariri councils, iwi and government agencies, with constituent councils retaining a local identity.

Philip Redmond, Kaiapoi-Woodend ward councillor, Waimakariri (Letter written in his personal capacity)

Revitalising cities

Phil Mauger’s decision to end work redesigning part of Gloucester St to make it more attractive for visitors to the cultural precinct, ( War of words as innercity street makeover put on hold, March 4) reminded me of a conversation I had as a city councillor in 2011 with Melbourne’s City Architect, Rob Adams, the driving force behind the transformation of its rapidly declining CBD.

By then it had emerged as one of the best international examples of a vibrant, well-populated city centre. I was keen to know if he had a message for Christchurch’s recovery. I wanted to understand how Melbourne, once submerged beneath traffic, had been revived by the use of imaginative examples of contemporary urban design in the redesign ot its streetscapes. City councils are usually risk-averse and lack the courage to implement ideas and policies which go against entrenched attitudes.

‘‘We did it one street a time,’’ he said, ‘‘as the opportunities arose.’’ They let the street do the talking.

Not in Christchurch it seems. When opportunity does arise, it is quashed by the current mayor and his political backers, whose vision for our city’s streets doesn’t seem to extend beyond relentlessly filling potholes. Claudia Reid, Merivale

Charge discrepancies

The averaging period can make a significant difference in water charges. I have been reading our water meter weekly since September 21 and set up spreadsheets to monitor and manage our use. I decided to average over the quarterly period from Oct 1-Dec 31. The council readings, however, were averaged over Oct 17-Jan 28, which captured summer peak use, excluding low use days in October and including high uses days in January, combining garden watering with visitors staying. The difference between the averaging periods was 201 litres per day.

Mike Day, Huntsbury

Let’s listen

The pictures from the School Strike 4 Climate in Wellington on Friday, in particular the constant heckling of the National Party candidate, Emma Chatterton, were extremely alarming.

We have an opportunity now to make the necessary change needed for the future. We are never going to get there by being closed-minded to viewpoints different from our own.

Let’s listen to one another and be open to the changes each party brings to the table.

It doesn’t take one person doing it all, it takes everyone doing something.

Kyran Frunt, Marshlands

Festival delight

The organisers of the Arts Centre Off Centre Festival during the weekend did a superlative job bringing so many genres of creativity together in one venue, notwithstanding the rather drenching weather of Sunday.

The various activities were of a very high standard, of wide interest and greatly appreciated by the audiences.

Let’s hope this can become a regular event.

Denise Murfitt, Huntsbury