FUTURE OF OHOPE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 11, Issue 14, 9 April 1947, Page 5

FUTURE OF OHOPE

QUESTION OF TOWN-PLANNING COUNTY COUNCIL DISCUSSION The matter of adopting some scheme of town-planning for Ohope Beach, in order to control its growth along set and attractive lines was discussed at the Whakatane County Council recently when it was decided to refer the whole question to the Works Committee for further investigation. ,

The recommendation" of the Works Committee that the matter should be deferred until the Wainui deviation could be finalised, was not adopted by the full Council, members being of the opinion that with the. rapid expansion of the beach settlement something should be attempted at once.

To wait for the Wainui deviation may be taking the long view, declared Cr. McCready, but that little matter might be at the tail-end of the ten-year plan, and the proper growth of Ohope should not be held up.

The clerk asked who was going to p*ay the compensation for the widening of roadways in the event of town planning being adopted. The Crown he said, was not bound by the Town-planning Act. Cr. McCready: We have various sports areas in view which could be made into ideal public playgrounds if they could be made over from the Native Lands Department. The Engineer gave it as his opinion that with Ohope developing so fast, now was the time to at least lay some plans for the future. Cr. Butler agreed with Cr. McCready pointing out that in ten years Ohope was going to grow enormously and unless the Council was going to take a firm hold of it now it would grow up haphasardly with all the mistakes of other centres repeated. The Clerk: Would it not be best to wait until the Council has the whole of Ohope under its control from the western point to Jim's Camp? Cr. McCready: Why not take Ohope and plan for it.

The matter was referred to the Works Committee.