TIMBER YARDS.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 19141, 26 October 1927, Page 7

TIMBER YARDS.

OBJECTION TO LOCATION. A RESIDENTIAL AREA ?

At the City Council meeting a fortnight ago a deputation was heard in protest against a proposal to establish a sawmill at 35 Moorhouse avenue, near the South Park. The other side of the question was heard last evening, when a deputation of three, representing the applicants, attended the Council meeting. ' . , The Town Planning. Housing, and Health Committee had reported:— The committee has inspected the site of the proposed timber yard, and after civing the matter due consideration, recommends that the application be refused as it is of opinion that the area referred to must be classed as a residential one. The Case for Applicants.

Mr C. S. Thomas, on behalf of the Weston Timber Company, said that Mr Loader was a working man who had decided to go into business. The section was one of about three-quarters o an acre and was in a pocket surrounded by the backs of houses. Some of those who had petitioned against the granting of a license to Mr Loader did not live within 200 yards of the section. There would bo. no increase whatever concerning the insurances on adjoining properties 5 nor could the otter objections made hold water Mr Thomas asked the Council not to cause any hardship to Mr Loader by refusing him the right to go ahead with his proJe °*Tlie land is actually bought," admitted Mr Thomas when questioned on tb The ,b Mavor said that quite a lot of trouble was caused by. various applicants actually committing themselves, as Mr Loader had done in this instance, before consulting the Council. Mr Thomas said that there was a general impression abroad.that until Mie Town Planning scheme was brought down the Council could not act in matters of this kind. The Mayor said that such an impression was erroneous, the Council being able to act under other P°J?«- Pr In reply to a question asked by Ur. Manning, Mr. Thomas said that the section was the only one available for the-purpose in the locality and added that the proposed business would be conducted on a co-operative basis. The Mavor: I am glad of that.

Site to be Inspected. After the deputation had withdrawn, Cr G Manning said that the committee'had decided to keep the district a residential one and consequently refused the application. Cr G R. Hunter drew attention to the cost', of sidings in the vicinity and trusted that the application would on this occasiou be granted. Cr R M. Macfarlane said that there was no'doubt that people would sign petitions when they were a good distance awav from the section concerned This had happened on this, and again on a previous occasion. For this reason the Councir- should look carefully into all petitions that came before it. He did not think that the project would result in a nuisance. Cr. A. W. Beaven was also of the opinion that there would not be any nuisance caused. £t struck him, He said, that • in the present case the applicant was spending his money to commence business, and a number of people appeared to want to "sit on him." If a nuisance were caused, the residents could take steps to repress it. Cr. E. H. Andrews said that it was a question whether the_ district was an industrial or a residential one. i There was a great danger, when in-

terpretiug the Act. of holding...up viw pr^ress^f; by allow ari "industry to be star'ted.^lere , was no doubt that the x erectio4 of a sawmill would depreciate" the value, of the residential properties in 'the district -and he thought that every Councillor shoulcLhhnself see the site before voting" on the question. It was decided to adjourn the matter to enable Councillors to inspect the site.

Another Application. Tho committee also reported:— Mr S. C. Beasley has applied for permission to erect a workshop in rear of a house situated at 185, Chester' street, and to install a small, circular saw therein. The chairman of the committee and Councillor Beanland have inspected the site of the proposed shed, and have been informed by Mr Beasley that he will not require to work the saw for more than one.hour each day. The committee therefore recommends that the required permit be granted, subject to Mr Beasley giving a written undertaking not to work the saw for more than one hour each day, and then only between 8 o'clock a.m. and 5 o'clock p.m. The clause was adopted.