WIDENING OF STREET

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 1064, 30 August 1930, Page 16

WIDENING OF STREET

POSITION AT NEWMARKET “On the face ot‘ it, it would appear that the circumstances attaching to this loan canrfot have been properly placed before the ratepayers.” This is stated in an issue of the Town Planning Institute’s official organ, which discusses the peculiar position that has arisen in Newmarket as a result of the indecisive poll of the ratepayers on the proposal to borrow £29,000 lor the acquisition of certain properties fronting on Broadway and Station Street in connection with the Station Street widening scheme.

In outlining the position, the paper explains that ti e Newmarket Borough Council, having decided that the improvement was necessary, refused to sanction the erection of any new buildings to the present street line. Injuriously .affected by this decision, one of the owners appealed to the Town Planning Board, but the appeal was dismissed and the decision of the borough council upheld. “The result of the determination of the Town Planning Board is that any property owner who has been refused a, building permit may lodge a claim for compensation for injurious affection and the award, if any. would have to be pa-id by the borough council either out of loan moneys or revenue,” comments the paper. “The Borough Council, in its wisdom, apparently decided that the more economical and efficient method of carrying out the improvement would be to acquire the four sections outright and to dispose of the surplus lands after the improvement had been completed. The position now is that the proposal to borrow money for the purchase of the properties affected having been rejected by the ratepayers, the Borough Council will either have to abandon the suggested improvement and issue the building permits or meet the awards for compensation out of revenue.

“The matter goes much deeper than that, however, and serves to demonstrate very clearly the unfortunate position in which local authorities are situated in regard to the collection of betterment. There can be very little doubt that considerable betterment must accrue to properties fronting on and in the vicinity of Station Street as a result of the improvement. It is conceivable that with adequate power of excess condemnation and special assessment this improvement could be carried out without cost to the ratepayers at large.