Town Planners Busy

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1016, 5 July 1930, Page 8

Town Planners Busy

PROGRESS IN PAST YEAR CO-ORDINATION of town-planning schemes evolved by the City Council and by the various local bodies around Auckland into one major scheme which will benefit the whole of the proposed Greater Auckland area, is an ideal of the Auckland Town Planning Association which is likely to be realised shortly. According to the annual report of the association, which is to be presented on Tuesday eveningrecent progress has brought to fruition the chief aim of the association —“The promotion of a widespread and active popular interest in town planning and in all affairs relating thereto.”

The association has impressed its i activity on the public chiefly through the progressive attitude taken up over certain questions of vital public interest. The technical group, under Mr E. V. Blake, has been chiefly responsible for this, having brought down comprehensive reports on the muchdiscussed question of traffic outlets, with special reference to new thoroughfares to relieve congestion at \ Broadway, Newmarket, and having given lengthy evidence before the Hai» hour Bridge Commission. The former scheme was based on surveys made by members of the gToup personallj', and was illustrated by means of large-scale plans. The report will be held by the association until a Regional Planning Committee is formed, when it will be handed over for consideration. Separate schemes were also advanced by two members Miss Alice Basten and Mr. G. T. Mur ray, and these, too, will he referred on to the proper authorities. Both the president and the chairman of the technical group gave evi dence before the Harbour Bridge Com mission and the group was then asked to prepare a report on the town-plan-ning aspect of the proposal. This set out the group’s ideas regarding new traffic outlets to cope with the conditions that would arise with the build iug of the bridge. It was considered that the promoters should include in their estimates a proportion of the cost of altering streets to give adequate access to the city end of the structure. This group considered problems connected with the old station site, a suggested scheme for its use being forwarded to the City Council. The future treatment of the old dock site

also came in for consideration. It was then for sale but, as a result of recommendations made in a conference with the Harbour Board and the City Council, the site was withdrawn from the market pending investigations. The association considers that part of the site should be preserved as an open space for use either as a motor traffic passenger terminal or as a reserve.

The chairman’s report states that the group’s representations made to the Regional Planning Committee as to > the suggested Auckland regions appear likely to be adopted. The association has also apparently been successful in preventing use being made of Hobson Bay as a railway shunting yard, as had been proposed by the department. Representations were made in conjunction with residents and with various other organisations. The Albert Street tramway extension, northern traffic outlets, the treatment of the junction of High and Chancery Streets, City Council by-laws dealing with the adequate lighting and ventilation of multi-family dwellings, and the erection of Harbour Board buildings in Quay Street have also been considered by the technical group, which has spent much time and considerable effort in preparing plans, reports and opinions. The housing group, at the invitation of the City Council, considered the proposal to build “bachelor flats” in the city and condemned the scheme. Permits were accordingly refused. The Volcanic Cones Committee made representation to the Government during the year regarding the safeguarding of Auckland’s old volcanoes, and much w r as done toward preserving the beauty of those still wholly or partially complete. Appreciation of the association’s efforts had been expressed by the Director of Town-Planning, Mr. J. W. Mawson. He has suggested that the body should become a branch of the New Zealand Town-Planning Institute, and this will be brought forward at the annual meeting on Tuesday, as already recommended by a general meeting of members.