The ANZ bank building was one of the winners when the Stratford District Council held its 2015 -2025 long-term plan deliberations on Thursday, with the decision to instruct staff to negotiate a suitable lease with ANZ rather than demolish the building.
This was based on the feedback received through the submissions process, with 51 submissions received on the subject, 28 of which indicated a preference for the lease to be continued rather than the building demolished.
The library was another winner, with the commitment being made to spend up to $1 million for needed repairs and renovations along with making it appealing and more user friendly for current and future users.
A lack of submissions regarding the future of Broadway and Prospero Place frustrated councillors, with John Sandford highlighting that there were no submissions received from shop owners in the area. "The Business Association hasn't put anything in either." Councillor John Campbell echoed the concern, saying it would be throwing money away if they proceeded without any buy-in from the businesses.
With councillors in agreement that they should follow the feedback from submitters, which reflected a desire to see Broadway developed, they also agreed that the start need not be immediate. John Sandford appealed for the way forward to not include "any more bloody consultants ... they are useless"