Christchurch City Council has confirmed plans to buy a property that was the scene of two murders.
Councillors have voted to buy the site in Wainoni road where Jason Somerville murdered a neighbour, Tisha Lowry, 28, in 2008 and his wife, Rebecca Chamberlain, 33, in 2009, and buried their bodies under the floor of the house.
Somerville, now 36, was sentenced to prison for at least 23 years.
The building was later razed by an arsonist.
Mayor Bob Parker says the council plans to establish a green space reserve on the site. There are no other public reserves in the area.
