THE BRICK WALL AREA.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1078, 3 August 1912, Page 2

THE BRICK WALL AREA.

CONSIDERABLY EXTENDED

At last night’s meeting ot the Council the Mayor moved and Cr Coley seconded, that the following by-law be made by way of special order and that the said special order be confirmed on Monday. 2nd September : That -in all new buildings of any kind whatever in Main St., Hall St., Whyte St., Clyde St., Harbour St., Liddell St. (east side), Ravens worth Place and the Avenue Road on the south side from Main St. to Hall St., whether such buildings are attached to or detached from other buildings and whether or not there shall be any other existing building on either side, the side walls shall be constructed oi either brick or reinforced concrete. In the case of a single storey building the brick walls shall be not less than nine inches thick and in the case of a two storey building the brick walls stroll be not less than fourteen inches thick, ror the full height of the first storey and nine inches thick for the balance. In the case of a reinforced concrete wall the thickness shall be not less than six inches. The brick or concrete walls shall be built in height twelve inches above the eaves or edge of the rool, and the length ot each wall shall be not less than the length ot building on the side on which that wall is erected. In the event of two or more adjoining owners combining to erect one building ou their several properties the walls on the inside boundaries between the sections shall be of brick or concrete to comply with this by-law, but it shall be a sufficient compliance with this by-law it such inside boundary walls shall reach up to the covering ot the roof without going through or above such covering.

TheJVlayor said that the existing by-law dealing with the matter only provided lor brick wails in Main Street and as the streets in the immediate vicinity were now being extensively built on it would be seen that there was a great danger of tire spreading to Main Street from these streets, the buildings in a number of cases practically abutting on the business premises. He did not wish to make the by-law too drastic, but he thought that the brick area should be extended as suggested. They should profit by the lesson of the recent fire in which a brick wall was the means of saving the adjoining buildings. A by-law of this kind was, in his opinion, the best preventive against fire.

There was some discussion as to whether or not the east side of Hall Street should be left out, but eventually the motion was agreed to as moved.