A teenage property developer has almost forced celebrity raconteur Jim Hopkins to evacuate after illegally excavating a 9m hole up to the edge of his house.
Monday, July 4th 2005, 8:00AM
by The Landlord
The debacle has brought to a head community anger over a wealthy Christchurch family's property development in the small, formerly working-class, fishing port of Lyttelton.
Tom Lewis, 18, may yet face prosecution for the giant hole, which he dug without resource consent and after he was ordered to stop by the Banks Peninsula District Council.
His family, the Lewises - who live not in Lyttelton but in affluent Scarborough - have bought at least nine properties in the port town, including a 3ha section they propose to subdivide into 15 house-lots.
Neighbours are fighting the subdivision while other residents are campaigning against the "outsiders".
