Now You Can Have A Spare Bedroom

Chronicle (Levin), 30 April 1949, Page 5

Now You Can Have A Spare Bedroom

Press Associcriion)

(Per

WELLINGTON, April 29. The decision of the Government to inorease the allowable floor area of i minimum-sized home was announced tonight by the Alinister of Works (Alr. Semple. Up to the present time ttie home-builder has been limited to an area of 1150 square feet of fioor spact unless the size of his family warrants a house of greater area. As already re ported the basic area has been increas-i ed to 1300 square feet for a one-store\ residence and 1400 square feet for u two-storev oue. This is subject, hovv ever, to its containing three bedrooms. The Alinister said local authoritio had been delegated power by the Building Controller (Alr. R. L. Alacphail) to issue building permits on this basis without reference to the district build ing controllers. The accommodation niust be required for permanent oecupa tion aml not for intermittent holiday purposes and the materials used must eonform to any conditions imposed under the Building Emergency Regula tions. This approval did not inckub niulti-unit housing. The new policy was to become effective on Alonday. Alr. Semple said this further relaxation in housing consti'iiction now permitted the prospec tive home-builder to erect a house of a size that would in most cases meet tht requirements of an average family, ano in manv instances -'be the means of providing that very desirable amenity — a spare bedroom.