More About Building Breaches

Chronicle (Levin), 6 April 1949, Page 4

More About Building Breaches

^ Breaches of ,the Building Emergency Regulations reportea by its buixding inspector, Mr. H. T. Tilyard, and whether it had power to take action, came in for further brief consideration at the Levin Borough Council's meeting on Monday night. Following a lively discussion at a recent meeting, it was resolved by a narrow majority to obtain the opinion of the borough so icitors in regard to the council's power tc prosecute offenders. At Monday's meeting the solicitors advised thai pending perusal of the Building Controller's communication to • the council, in which he delegateo certain powers to it, they were unab'e to give an opinion. The Mayor, Mr. H. B. Burdekin, commented that un.il. thi^ information was received further discussion was purposeless. A letter of explanation was read from one of the two persons reported by the inspector for alleged breaches. It said that he had arranged with a contractor for thc laying of the foundations of a shed. The work had gone on while he was absent for two weeks and on his return he had found a concrete fioof, for which no instructions hac been given. In regard to the heart matai used in the framing, the letter said that the timber was sevenfoot leng.hs rejected by a buildei because it was warped, He had received a visit from thc other person concerned, advisec the Mayor, and had been shown z permit, issued by the BuLding Controller at the time when the restrictions on cement had been re laxed, for the concrete drive and paths which were the subject of the inspector 's report. Referring to his remarks at the previous meeting, Cr. A. J. H. Allen said he wished to make his attitude to the matter quite clear. If the council had the power to prosecute, he thought it would be unjust to take action against only two offenders. An inspection should be made and action^ taken in every case where a breach was found. The discussion was not pursued further.