EASING OF BUILDING CONTROLS

Chronicle (Levin), 1 November 1949, Page 3

EASING OF BUILDING CONTROLS

• Press Associatioz.)

"Not Electioneering Stunt," Says Mr. Semple

(Per

WELLINGTON, Oet. 30. Furtttier measures of relaxation and decentralisation in the building control policy which wonld be the meana of facilitating and expediting the issue of building permits were announced today by the Minister of Works (Mr Semple). Additional authority is being given local authorities to issue building permits without prior consent of the Building Controller for the following classes of work: — One: New housmg not exeeeding 1300 aquare feet for a singie-storey residence and 1400 square feet for a two-storey residence provided that if the area is in exces3 of 1150 square feet the minimum number of bedrooms is three, and provided that aeeomodation is required for permanent occupation and not for intermittent holiday purposes, and that the materials used conform to any conditions imposed by Building Construction Controi Notice No. 30. This authority does not inelude multi-unit housmg. The construetion of open porches or verandahs with wooden floors and of an area up to 100 square feet'is now permitted, sueh area to be excluded from the basic area. The carrying down of the foundations of houses sited on sloping sections to provide basement aecommodation not exeeeding 300 square feet in area and with reasonable head-room is now permitted. Sueh aecommodation is to be excluded from the basic floor area and is to be approved only on eondition that it does not comprise an additional living area. The provision of reasonable and neeessary doors and windows is to be permitted in sueh 'basements. Two: All domestic out buildings associated with housing sueh as garages, fowl-houses, glass-houses, boatsheds, etc. Tiiree: Alterations to and maintenanee of existing houses not invoiving additional floor area. Eour: Additions not exeeeding £500 in cost invoiving new floor area to houses. Five: Holiday housing not excee'ding 400 square feet in area may be built in any materials and at any time, inelude d in the normal 40-hour working week. Six: All works to existing buildings of a kind neeessary to be carried out in the interests of public health or safety required by requisition under the Health and/or Factories Acts, iieensing authorities and loeal body by-laws not exeeeding £3000 in cost, sueh as drainage, ventilation, heating, lighting, staff amenities, sanitary conveniences, fire eseapes and other safety measures, elimination of struetural defeetS, etc. Seven: New shop, Office, eominercial and workshop buildings not exeeeding £3000 in cost. ; Eight: All farm buildings and commereial glass-house3, i.e., cowsheds, piggeries, implement and wool sheds, ete. Ninc: Maintenanee and fire — reinstatement work to existing buildings, but not ineluding hotels, breweries and picture theatres subjeet, in case of fire reinstatement work, to no additional floor area being involved. Ten: Alterations, additions and internal fittings to commercial and/or industrial buildings other than hotels, breweries and picture theatres, not exeeeding £3000 in cost. Eleven: Fencing, gates and boundary walls in timber. Twelve: Loeal body works generally other than new buildings not exeeeding £5000 in cost sueh as engineering works, drainage, water supply schemes, street construetion, bridges, etc. Thirteen: New ckurches and Sunday school buildings or alterations and adadditions to same not exeeeding £5000 in ieost. The Dominion Building Controller will continue to deal with all other classes of building permit applieations, eertain of whieh will still require to be referred to the Cabinet Committee for building controi. Mr Semple also stated that because of the improved supply of screwed steel conduit for electric wiring the necessity for continuing the eontrol of this material no longer existed and aecordingly it was proposed to revoke the existing prohibition upon its use on November 8. "Tliese relaxation proposals are not electioneering stunts," eontinues Mr Semple, "but are made in accordance with the Government 'a previously stated policy to reduce controls as far as possible whenever circumstanees made it warrantable to do so. Although it is not intended to do anytking which would sjuhstantially detract from the present rate of house building it is eonsidered in view of the general improvement whieh has reeently occurred in the Supply of nearly all building materials that there is justilication in permitting the above classes of Avork to proceed without further restrictions. ' ' Tliese easements in the building controi policy should be the cause of eonsiderable satisfaetion to all con6erned • and will resuit in many hundreds of people being able to proceed immediately with the construetion of buildings which have been deniod for so long," said Mr Semple. "I would like to make it quite elear that the implemeutation of the new policy proposals will not become elfective until Tuesday November 8. This delay is caused by the fact that it will take some days for the Building Emergeney Regulations to be amended and published i'n the Gazette and for the operational procedure neeessary to conform to the new policy to be drafted and eireuiated to loeal bodies and distriet building con- ( troUers/5 _