The head of the Christchurch City Council’s transport committee has agreed to meet the owners of Miss Feaver Florist “asap.”

Yesterday afternoon, a Fulton Hogan manager turned up, unannounced, to the popular shop on the corner of Hills and Edgeware Road to deliver bad news.

Co-owner Cynthia Chamberlain said she was told “all of the nearby car parks were being removed” and replaced with yellow lines – giving her just 12 hours notice before roadworks were due to start.

Ms Chamberlain told Chris Lynch it was the first time she was made aware of the plan.

She asked the Fulton Hogan manager for the detailed plan, but was refused and told to call the council instead.

Ms Chamberlain tearfully described receiving the news.

“We’ve been part of this community since 1996, why is this council so anti-small business owners.”

She said the removal of the parks would kill her business. “I feel like we’ve gone through so much, with earthquakes, roadworks for years, Covid19, and now this.”

“Do they not want small businesses in Christchurch anymore?”

“I bet my business is just a tiny white dot on their map, but it’s people’s livelihoods they’re playing with.” 

Ms Chamberlain said she was told parking along Edgeware Road and Hills Road intersection was being removed and yesterday, that appeared to be the case.

When Chris Lynch Media asked for confirmation of the removal of car parks, the Christchurch City Council’s media team provided a statement from its Transport Planning and Delivery Manager Lynette Ellis saying “the reduced parking at the Hills Road and Edgeware Road intersection is due to a pedestrian crossing island being installed to help people cross the road safely at Edgeware Road.”

Ellis said “Miss Feaver Florist has been in touch about parking at the intersection so we are arranging to meet with them this week to discuss possible modifications we could make to maintain access for their customers.”

In a council report from September 2019, the road upgrades were described as “minor Intersection upgrades, to include raised tables and/or build outs, to address safety concerns.”

The report says “painted on cycle lanes to be introduced on Edgeware Road between Sherborne Street and Hills Road”

COUNCILLOR PAULINE COTTER RESPONDS

After the story was broadcast, Councillor Pauline Cotter said she’s been in discussions with Cynthia Chamberlain’s husband John, and with council staff “and we are organising a meeting with them asap.”

Cotter said “these road works and street design alterations are part of the ‘Downstream Effects’ improvements to mitigate the impact of the new Northern Corridor Motorway coming into St Albans in December.”

Cotter said “all the designs were consulted on, approved by the community Board and signed off by Council last year and are a requirement of the resource consent.”

Cotter said “there will be 3 parks only removed from the north side of Edgeware Road.”

The indented parking outside the florist and dairy on Hills Rd will be remaining. There is no plan to remove this and there will be no removal of parking on the south side of Edgeware Rd.

Cotter said “I do shop at Miss Feaver and there is always parking available on the southside of Edgeware Road, but crossing can be tricky at times, therefore the construction of a pedestrian island will be super helpful.”