Visitors' centre stays at station

Blenheim's i-Site visitors' centre will stay at the railway station, after Marlborough district councillors rejected a suggestion to move it to the planned Alfred St parking building.

The decision was made at an environmental policy committee meeting on Monday and must still be ratified by the full council on December 10.

However, Mayor Alistair Sowman and all councillors attended Monday's meeting and were asked to give their opinions on the i-Site location.

All but councillor Graeme Taylor wanted the i-Site to stay put.

Mr Taylor said retailers were "horrified" by the centre's location away from the central business district, but he did not vote against the committee's decision.

The vote was taken after council staff sought certainty following a suggestion from council-commissioned urban design planners Urbanism Plus that the i-Site be moved to the ground floor of the council's planned new parking building in Alfred St.

Urbanism Plus believed a central i-Site would hold visitors in the CBD longer and encourage more spending.

That suggestion, and others put forward by the planners, were last month subject to public consultation, but the council has not yet finalised future plans for the central business district.

Responses to a question on whether the i-Site should be moved to Alfred St totalled 247, with 38 per cent in favour and 23 per cent against the idea.

The remaining 39 per cent were either neutral (19 per cent), slightly in favour (15 per cent) or slightly against (5 per cent).

Destination Marlborough was among those against moving and general manager Tracy Johnston said last night she was "thrilled" with the committee's decision.

It was vital the centre retained its position at the junction of State Highways 1 and 6, she said.

"We need to be prominent ... the last thing we want is people getting off their ferry and their first stop being Kaikoura or Christchurch."

Destination Marlborough sought $1.8 million in capital funding from the council earlier this year for a new 550-square-metre i-Site, through an extension of the existing building.

That request was backed by the council as part of the annual budget this year.

Mrs Johnston said she was not sure whether the organisation would still move ahead with those plans, but a redevelopment of the site would be progressed.

"I don't know what the next step is for picking up the project. I will be talking with council about that."

- The Marlborough Express

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