Christchurch City Council will remove and clean the pavers so they can be stored in the Square, ready for the next phase of improvement works due to start later this year.
Some of the paving will be used to re-line the former Strand Lane and to patch damaged areas in front of the old Chief Post Office building.
“The recycling approach has a medium-term saving of about $180,000 and allows us more time to work with stakeholders on options for the spaces surrounding the Cathedral,” says Council Project Director Lee Butcher.
“Lifting the existing paving is a sustainable option that ensures we have plenty of stock and removes the risk and immediate cost of purchasing more of the same pavers from overseas.”
Separate to the paving work, Christ Church Cathedral Reinstatement Limited (CCRL) has asked the Council to use a strip of land in the Square for construction purposes during the earthquake-damaged Cathedral’s restoration and rebuild. It would be used for storage and as a temporary site office location.
CCRL has also asked to lease the former police kiosk as a visitor centre to provide information to the public and for a licence to occupy areas of legal road to provide access for heavy vehicles into the site.
The area of land, which would be required for a period of up to 10 years, is about 1527 square metres, plus the kiosk and 270 square metres of legal road.
Granting the lease and licence would restrict access to parts of the Square, but Council staff say the restriction would be minor and would not affect the ability to hold events in the space.
The Council will soon hold a public consultation on the proposal and feedback will be considered by a Hearings Panel.