STREET PROBLEMS.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1993, 25 February 1914, Page 8

STREET PROBLEMS.

IN WELLINGTON.

CITY COUNCIL AND THE LAW

MINISTER SYMPATHETIC.

Clause 117 of tlio Public Works Act was tl\p subject upon which a deputation, representing the City Council, addressed the Minister of Internal Affairs (tho Hon. H. D. Bell) yesterday. Tlie deputation consisted of the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke), Councillors Barber, Luckic, and Fuller, Mr. W. H. Morton (City Engineer), and 5&". J. O'Shea (City Solicitor). Tlie Mayor explained that tho object of Section 117 of; tho Public Works Act had'been to increase the width of narrow streets by. requiring that' when a holder of land in a street of less width than 66 feet, partitioned his land ho should, dedicate to the local authority so much depth of frontage as would loavo his now front 33 feet from the centre of tlio road. In Wellington, which included big suburban areas, the council had had to acquire a great deal of land in this way, and most of it was in streets where, owing to the precipitous nature of tho country, the' land so acquired could never be utilised for street widening. The council had in many instances paid for tho land and allowed the former owners to-retain possession at a' peppercorn rental. This section of the "Act pressed very hard on tlie City of Wellington, and tho deputation asked for tho repeal of- the Act. Mr. Bell: Would it be sufficient for your purposes if we repealed Sub-sec-tion 5, providing for compensation? Mr. O'Shea explained that this would not be a fair solution of the difficulty. Tho Mayor, continuing, urged that the local authority should be allowed to decide what streets ought to be widened, and should not be, asked to pay for space which could never be used as part of a road. Mr. Bell said he had had in mind for some time an idea of imposing a condition upon the subdivision of land within a borough, similar to that attached 'to the sub-division' of land outside, a Miorough—that a plan of tlie subdivision should be submitted to the Government and approved before the subdivision could be permitted. Members of the deputation did not think any such arrangement would get over the difficulty.

Streets of Kay Pattern. • • , Councillor Barber said that in no single case- lie. pointed out liad a street front "been' set' back for the entire longth of the street. The result was "something like a key pattern" along the road.'* Councillor Luekie said that the difficulty arose in Wellington from the fact that when the town was laid out 75link roads woro regarded as sufficiently wide for: suburban . areas. Now these roads had to be increased to 100 links. The Act required people partitioning land to dedicate part of,their frontage to tlie city, and the result was that b?g holders wishing to subdivide had to set back,frontages, .white the smaller hold'era; who_ did /not subdivide did npt. The application of 1 'the clause ■ lvas t not' universal and- it was therefore useless. Mr. O'Shea said the city had never done any street widening under the., clause. Having in mind the fact that town-planning advocates in England did not now- consider that excessive width of streets in purely ,residential areas was necessary, ;the deputation thought that the Act should be repealed, or that.the' control of exemptions under it should I*> m the hands of the corporation instead of the Government., • Mr. Bell: Don't you think the corporation should have power to acquire land for street-widening? Mr. 0 Shea: \es; but wg don't require these dedications. We should nave power-to set back the frontages but we should be' allowed to pick "tho land and pay for it. He added that if the section'were not repealed the next best thing would be .to give tho couni H O ,"' 01 ' t° sa y tfl "'hat streets it should apply. At present the council Jiad dedications all over Brooklyn which were never likely to be of any use. Business Areas and Residential. Areas. Mr. Morton stressed tho points that the Act was useless in promoting streetwidening, and that in residential areas w ]de streets wor© iiofc now considered necessary. Spaces between houses wore another matter which, could, bo otherwise regulated. w ''hin my knowledge of \\ elhugton,*what you call residential streets have become principal business streets. Conditions in tho Old Country aro so entirely different from those iii a new country liko this. The change lrom residential to business streets has occurred all over Wellington within the time of which I have memory. 1 Mr. Morton replied that there were very many streets Effected by tho Act which, could never becomo shopping streets. And in many districts the council could not make G6 feet , roadways: The dedications wero useless to the council,• and irksome to propertyowners. Mr. Bell: .Don't you agree that in every caso the borough should have power, to insist upon setting back frontages? i Mr. Motton: I agree with that entirely, but the present system leads to waste of good land. It ought to be thoroughly investigated and reported upon by a man thoroughly conversant with all the conditions.

THE MINISTER IN REPLY, LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILL FORECASTED. The Minister, replying, said he was very much obliged to the deputation for pointing out to him.the effect in working of Section 117. But the clause had a certain almost superstitious .reverence from some who remembered its origin, and it might bo for that reason moro difficult than tho council supposed: to get it as they desired— to givo the' council power to decide , whether dedication was necessary or not. Ho was very glad to learn, by answer to 'his question, that the object of tho deputation was not merely to get rid of Section 5, providing for compensation. Ho was ; not able to say positively whether the request of the deputation would< be granted, because 6iioh a considerable change in tho law would require the concurrence of his colleagues.- Ho could assure tho deputation, however, that ho was in entire accord with tho-views they had put before him. He nroposed to present to the local authorities before next session, and to Parliament during next session, an amendment of tho Local Government law, and he hoped to have the concurrence of his colleagues in inserting in tho Bill a clause giving to local authorities of subdivisions, and liability for compulsory provision for street-wid-ening upon subdivision. But ho was not in accord with anyone who wished to avoid a reservation to tho corporation of power to insist unon the setting bncic of frontagesj even if tho frontages wore not at once put 'to use. The Day of Battle. He hoped to submit to tho local authorities, and to' Parliament' next session,, a Bill to extend, tho powors of local authorities generally.' The Government thought it was wiser to givo wider powers to local authorities now than to try to amalgamate them against their will. He admitted, however, that if he remained in office very much longer tho day of battle between the local authorities and himself would come.