28 September Blenheim Sun

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lET’s sEE if wE can savE you MonEy.

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Blenheim Marlborough

Wednesday September 28, 2011

Values down Land value drop won’t spark rate decrease

Reality check AA’s Mark Stockdale tells motorists to brace for more fuel hikes.

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By Damian George The Marlborough District Council says the recent drop in average house values in the region will not necessarily lead to lower rates for home owners. Figures released in Quotable Value’s threeyearly revaluation of property values on Friday

show the average land value in Marlborough has dropped by 11 per cent. Indicative figures on valuation movements show vineyard and horticulture properties in the Blenheim vicinity have been hit hardest, down by 39 per cent from 2008. Residential properties have dropped by 15

per cent in Blenheim and 16 per cent in Picton, while commercial properties in the Blenheim vicinity have dropped by 22 per cent. Council chief financial officer Martin Fletcher says the impact on home owners’ rates will depend on how their area has been affected. Continued Page 3.

Council wants green space kept An artist’s impression of the proposed Speight’s Ale House on High St, Blenheim.

Spirit and passion Community support worker Lynette Stanley pours her heart into her role at Bread of Life Trust Blenheim.

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This initial sketch of the building, published in the Marlborough District Council’s report Blenheim Town Centre: A Vision for the Future, was not to scale.

Summer Weddings All you need to know to plan your dream wedding this summer.

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Sun Weather SunToday Weather 0-14 4-19 Today Thursday 1-12 Thursday Friday

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Friday Saturday

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Outlook Saturday for Today Fine and frosty. Not much wind. Outlook for Today Fine, light winds.

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Everyone gets The Sun Total market coverage in Marlborough

Marlborough mayor Alistair Sowman says talks with Lion Nathan about establishing a Speight’s Ale House in Blenheim will continue, but he wants to preserve public space near the proposed site. The Marlborough District Council and Lion Nathan have been discussing the space on High St overlooking the Taylor River as a possible site for the Ale House.

Mr Sowman told The Sun he is conscious of not undermining the green space between the land and the river. “The initial concept sketches in the Urban design strategy were not to scale, and we have asked our landscape designers to have another look at this project and consider how we might accommodate both,” he says.

Mr Sowman says the council made a commercial decision to buy the land in order to make best use of it. He says he likes the proposed Ale House design as it complements nearby restaurant Raupo and is visually appealing. A Wellington developer had planned to build apartments on the site before the council bought it.


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