Footpath saga takes new turn

The chances of Auckland City keeping some of its distinctive red chip footpaths are looking up after councillors put off a decision on Friday to pave every suburban street in black concrete.

In a flurry of last-minute activity, senior officers saw their goal of ditching the historic red chip footpaths slip away.

Hours before a crucial vote on the future of the city's footpaths, Phoenix Research managing director David Fougere said councillors should not rely too much on his company's research. Council transport general manager Dr Stephen Rainbow had earlier told the Herald that the research was a "significant influence" in terms of the officers' recommendation to ditch red chip.

Faced with this news and questions being asked about aspects of the focus group research - including the costings given to participants - councillors backed off making a final decision.

Officers were told to go away and clarify the issue around costs and methodology in the research, to get some urban design advice on how the policy would affect character neighbourhoods and develop some criteria to allow for the continuation of some red chip footpaths.

The latest twist to an officer-imposed, 18-month freeze on laying red chip footpaths was played out in a series of backroom conversations between senior politicians and officers, including deputy mayor Dr Bruce Hucker, Dr Rainbow and chief executive David Rankin. Four communications staff attended the joint meeting of the transport and arts, culture and recreation committees.

Calls for answers about the focus group research is a further blow to the council's tarnished image on consultation, which has taken a drubbing over the Vulcan Lane fiasco, Queen St trees and the tiled suffragette memorial in Khartoum Place.

Councillor Christine Caughey described the focus group research as an "ad hockery" response to a big decision for the city.

"A blandness of consistency can create a very monotonous city and detract from different characters in different areas," she said.

Last month officers commissioned Phoenix Research, at a cost of $37,000, to carry out focus group research. Four groups of eight people each met to consider the issue.

Phoenix Research reported back that on an "emotional level, a continuous red look was felt to create a greater sense of community" but that "most people felt that the black chip concrete exposed finish ... was the most practical, attractive and cost-effective footpath surface offered".

Some councillors support the end of red chip, including Penny Sefuiva, who described her ward of Western Bays as a "shambles" from the mish-mash of red chip.

Mr Rankin defended the officers' recommendation to ditch red chip for black concrete, saying they were working to a council objective to end the patchwork effects of footpaths.

"Every time a developer or a utility does work on a footpath there is a very high chance at the moment of a mis-match. Even in a street that we have newly undertaken work in, it causes a botch-up. In our view [this creates] a candy-striped effect of pinkish footpaths with bright white vehicle crossings.

"In our view that does not meet the council's objectives of consistency, of look and feel and a consistent experience for pedestrians walking along a footpath," Mr Rankin said.