7 May 2002

During a public excluded session of Hutt City Council last night councillors voted 10-2 not to contribute up to $1.285 million in council resources to save the old Laings Road Methodist Church.

"I personally was in favour of the preservation proposal, because once our heritage buildings are gone they are gone forever, and because this is the only building of its vintage left in the city. However a majority of my council colleagues did not feel able, for a variety of reasons, to support that view as is their right," said Mayor Terris.

"I am certainly supportive of the Methodist Trust's wish to develop the site as well and believe it will be a welcome boost to businesses in the southern end of High Street. I hope that as an enlightened developer, the Trust will find some way to preserve at least some vestiges of the old building."

Council Chief Executive Rik Hart was pleased that the issue had been decided.

"There will be a number of people who are going to be disappointed, but it was a very large sum of money being asked for, with no guarantee that the Methodist Trust would have put up the $500,000 additional funding," said Rik Hart.

"I am certainly looking forward to the impact this development will have on what is a fairly depressed area of the city.

ENDS

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