TOWN PLANNING SCHEME

Taupo Times, Volume II, Issue 81, 5 August 1953, Page 7

TOWN PLANNING SCHEME

COMMENT BY MR J. E. STORY Mr J. E. Story, Chairman of the Taupo Town Board, has written to the Editor of the Times, in reply to the opinions expressed by Mr J. D. McLeod in a letter published in the Times of July 29 under the heading "Taupo Town Planning." Mr Story's letter is as follows: — . "While I do not find myself in agreement with the opinions expressed in connection with the town planning scheme by Mr J. D. McLeod in his letter (Times, July 29), I welcome his comments. Now that a local newspaper provides meqns of public discussion of matters of public interest, it is desirable that ratepayers and residehts shoul'd %ring forward their views or queries from time to. time and so enable different aspects of local affairs to be presented or discussed. : 7 "The Report published in the same issue of the Times, dealing with procedure under the Act, indicated the position as to opportunity for representations to be made in connection with the town planning scheme, correctly stating that in due course the; plan will be advertised by the Board as being available for inspectioh for three months. During that time objeetions may be lodged, and the^g will be gone into as provided in the Act, "1 WOuld point out that the purpose of town planning is to try and ensure that shopping areas, and areas _ for other types of business, are provided in such a way that they serve the convenience of the public. Further, that areas which have already become accepted as desirable for resident;al purposes, and in which people have bought sections for residmitial purposes, are kept as free as possibie from the annoyances associated wbh factories, workshops and similar premises when erected in residential areas. Taupo is a growing town, and it seems to me that provision should be made, as soon as possibie, to ensure that future development occurs in such a way as to .preyent the appearance of "slumrny" areas and to > preserve the attraetiveness of residential areas as much as possibie. "The present plan, for alterations in which there is full opportunity, if a case can be made for them, as already explained, has been prepared by the Board's town planning consultants. The business * area therein proposed, which Mr McLeod considers to be inadequate, has been based on a population of ten thousand. The plan, ^ of course, provides also for shopping eentres in what will later be regarded as suburban areas. "While the plan may possibly be open to detailed objeetions, it has been carefully compiled, and merits careful study, for which there will be opportunity. I have no objection to public meetings, but at the same time ;am inclined Ito think that a public meeting is hardly a suitable place to consider the many technical problems embodied in a town planning scheme. It would be more fruitful, I suggest, if all those interested enough would take the opportunity to study the plan, and then discuss it objectively with myself or other Bqard members, and, if they should think fit to do so, lodge any obpections to it in due course. **With regard to Mr McLeod's comxnent on the roads I would point out that a foreman has already been appointed. In general, I think it fair to say that the condition of the roads, apart from periods immediately following spells of very bad , weather, has been reasonably good eonsidering the expenditure made on them. In this connection, it will be appreciated, I think, that the standard of road to be maintained at present must be, not an ideal surface, but one that is reasonably good and not too eostly. "In the near future Taupo, with its power scheme well established, will have to consider, in addition to roading matters, other pressing problems, such as water and drainage. All these will inevitably cost money and increase rates. Such problems will need careful thought and the avoidance of as much unnecessary expenditure as possibie."