WHAKATANE'S FUTURE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 274, 21 February 1941, Page 5

WHAKATANE'S FUTURE

NEED FOR TOWN PLANNING

VIEWS OF MAYOR "It is not my intention to enter into a newspaper controversy with any anonymous letter-writ- ' , er, but I can bear out your assumptions that several statements made in a letter to the press on Wednesday last are riot correct," stated the Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry, when interviewed by a BEACON reporter yesterday. "In fact his statements' were far from the truth." The statement, -which appeared in a letter signed "A Tenant" in ]&st issues of the DEACON, that the Borough Council prosecuted, a person who wished to add to his house to provide a double unit dwelling, and that the Court found the by-laws unreasonable, the Council "to its lasting discredit" losing its case, was refuted by the Mayor. Absolutely Incorrect. "That statement was absolutely incorrect," lie said. "The by-laws of the Borough were upheld by the court and a line imposed upon the offender. At the time, however, the by-laws did not include the power for the Council to have the building demolished. The Council has now power to order the demolition of a building not built to conform with, the requirements of the by-laws." Another unfair and incorrect statement made in the same letter was that the State had been permitted to build double unit houses on very small sections and in a narrow street . in disregard to all Borough building by-laws and that the Council had "remained mute." "The point is," stated the Mayor, "that the State is not bound by ar.y local body bylaws—in fact not even liable for rates, although recently some arrangement has been made whereby the Borough-can collect these." By-Laws Observed'. "In spite of the fact that we were aware that the State was not bound by the laws of our town we, on receipt of the plans of sub-division "which did not conform with our requirements, sent the plans back to the Department with the request that the sections be madie suitableThat was done and every Government house erected in Whakatane has o section area and: frontage measurement conforming to the by-laws and' the same r as that required! of a private individual." "In connection with Souters Avenue which was referred to in this; letter as "a narrow new street," the Council did relax the regulations* but with good reason," continued Mr Barry. He pointed out that the road was 50 feet in width and, had' it been made full width, would have reduced the size of the sections to below that required by the by-laws. "We considered that advisable as the street which is short and links two full width roads, was the only means of making use of that Jriock of land' which; without the road, would have been land-bound and useless." Needs Realised: Concluding the interview Mr Barry** stated that the Council had no desire to prevent the building of small \ homes, in fact, fully realised the need of such houses, and had always wished to encourage building in the town. At the same time 1 , he addecfe that some form of town planning. j was very necessary. „ || "It is realised throughout the Dominion and the world that town planning is essential and, although we wish to give every assistance to people who want to build, we do want to have some control as to where and what* class of building is to be erected. In the past the sub-division has been haphazard and I hope to> have a plan whereby provision can be made for future roads and sub-divisions which will make Whakatane a decent town™ As a point to bear put his argu-* ment, the Mayor stated that wheiH the , Strand was to be laid down it was only in the face of strong opposition that a member of the Council managed to sway the members ti> make the road" width one and a half chains instead of one: chain. "Where ' would we be now without that man's foresight," lit concluded.