Town Planning Scheme For Extra-Urban Areas?

Chronicle (Levin), 15 July 1948, Page 4

Town Planning Scheme For Extra-Urban Areas?

The Horowhenua County Council is to investigate the possibility of preparing an extra-urban town planning scheme to incorporate the wnore of the county. The scheme' wourd give protection to occupiers of property in semi-urbanised areas. In residential areas and holdings on which small farming operations are undercaken, it woiud prevent the erection jf factories, sawmills or heavy mdustry, which would prove detrimental to the health or livelihood of the residents. The matter' iirst arose when a flrm >of Wellington solicitors wrote to the councii on behaif of Mr. M. A. Sanders, who conclucts a chick hatchery just south of the Levin Borough boundary, as a result of iearning that Messrs. Crighton and Sons, sawmillers, intended to erect a sawmill on the adjoining property. There were » other houses in the area concerned, said the letter, and besides ■ this, Mr. Sanders stated that the noise from the sawmill would interfere with his business. As the iocal authority controlling the area, the writers inquired whether the council had an extraurban town planning scheme. At yesterday's meeting of the council, a further letter was received from the solicitors submitting the channels by which the council could protect the neighbourhood ln which Mr. Sanders lived. It could make application for an Order-in-Council from the GovernorGeneral asking it to prepare a scheme. The letter pointed out that once the council had decided to proceed with the scheme it could refuse consent to the erection of any building which would be m contravention to the scheme had it been completed. The council was asked to favourabiy consider the matter. It was recommended by a committee set up to go into the matter that at present no action in tnfs direction should be taken, but that one of the officers of the Town Planning Department should be invited to meet the council and discuss the scheme. As the chairman of this committee, Cr. E. R. Winkler said it was agreed the sympathy of the council should be extended to both Mr. Sanders and Messrs. Crighton and Sons. He suggested that the three borough councils, Levin, Shannon and Otaki, be invited to the meeting as they would be concerned. It was felt by the committee that to take immediate action might creare a precedent which would invoive the council .in difficulties in tne near future. Tlie chairman, Mr. A. M. Colquho.un, said that town planning was needed over the whole of the county. He did not think it advisable for the council to entertain extra-urban planning for a portiun only. Supporting the committee's recommendatlon, Cr. J. D. Aitchison said thatiin ^S'-to.SjO.yoarSi.the.tdlSr. trict which the county controlled would ,be one of the most sought after in the North Island, both for industrial and residential purposes. It would be necessary to have a scheme of some sort if building of factories between houses was to be prevented. i The committee's report was adopted and an officer of the Town Planning Department will be invited to attend a meeting of the council. The Borough Councils will, be invited to attend a riieeting, which will probably be held the same day. It was decided to advise 1 Mr. Sanders' solicitors that at present the council was not prepared to apply the course open to it.