New Zealand / Regional

Anglican Church rejects offer to talk with trust

14:37 pm on 10 January 2014

The Anglican Church has so far refused to take up an offer from the Historic Places Trust to mediate in its dispute with a group wanting to restore the ChristChurch Cathedral.

The trust made the offer as a way of breaking the deadlock that has the Church on one side wanting to demolish the cathedral and build a new one with a modern design, and heritage groups on the other side wanting to restore it.

The Anglican Diocese of Christchurch chief operations officer, Gavin Holley, says it appreciates the trust's offer but has not taken it up for a variety of reasons. He declined to elaborate further.

The Church is still in the middle of a judicial review brought by the Great Christchurch Buildings Trust and is under an interim ruling not to proceed with demolition for now.