LONDON CHANGING.

Taranaki Central Press, Volume IV, Issue 291, 21 November 1936, Page 8

LONDON CHANGING.

WHAT VISITOR WILL SEE IN 1946. ' —— DIVIDED INTO THREE CIRCULAR . ZONES. . The face of Londnn Is likely to change vastly during the next ten years, says a London paper. It is foreshadowed that in this period the modernisation process will be greater than in the previous 50 years. . : The Town Planning and Bui.ding Acts have increased the powers of the L.G.C.. and the controlling authorities areihusy preparing to deal with large areas of old and dilapidated proper}) which grew uptin a haphazard manner i' rftntury ago. , The properties are rapidly being Cleared to make room for up-to-date strne tores. The most drastic changes on the Surrev side of the Thames will take place' at Bermondsey, Southwark, Sydenham. Lamheth. Wandsworth, Battersea., and Woolwich, and In the north at Islington. Stoke Newington, St. Pancras. Hackney, Bethnal Green, and Paddington. ’.fNcw and better roads will cut titrough the riot of bricks and mortar which at present impede transport in aIU these boroughs, anc| whole areas w|!l be straightened out without regard to present line's of frontage, .which. In many Instances, follow the direction of country lanes where the owners of market gardens were allowed to crowd as many cottages as they pleased on their holdings. /Hie L.C.C. will not embark on huge juhlding schemes, but will exercise lt< wide-reaching powers In order to compel site clearance and development on. rational lines. /' . Throe Circular Zones. I?' < ‘ e lon don Is therefore divided into e concentric circular zones. he inner zone limits the heights of ness premises to 100 feet, Oats to 'eet, and family dwelling-houses to feet. . ihe‘ intermediate zone will have no business premises over .80 feet, no flats oyer $0 feet, or dwelling-houses 6ver 10 feet. The outer'zone restricts business premise's to 60 feet, and all other residential buildings, whether Hats or dwelling-houses, to 40 feet. /’to the country visitor who comes tkLondon in 1946 the changes around Westminster will be very marked. //Whitehall Gardens will have been Covered by the new Government buildings. and Adelphi Terrace and the 1 streets'behind will have disappeared and been replaced by handsome architecture. J-;On the opposite bank of the Thames great progress will have heen made in the extension of the embankment from tlie County Hall towards Waterloo, and possibly towards Blackfriars Bridge. • Also, new Waterloo Bridge will by that time be six years old. / Much rebuilding will take place In Bloomsbury and Cheteea. Vauxhall, famed at one time for its pjpasure gardens, and subsequently hidden Under railway buildings and gasworks. Is to be extensively replanned in order 1o relieve, the existftig traffic jam on all the approaches to Vauxhall Bridge. - Vast Traffic Cfrcas. This entails the construction of a circus that will enable Irafflc to continue constantly on the move, although It will a'dd as much as 600 yards to the distance travelled by vehicles. ' In order to make this vast circus, the railway bridge over Archer Street must be rebuilt, and there will be considerable clearance of other obstructions. • - - Long before' 1946 the South Circular Road will be completed, as already Jhe links between Eltham Road and Burnt Ash are in actual process of gbnstructlon. and the connections between Eltham and Wellhall are also on the way. will be a great boon to those Who at present suffer terrible inconvetlertce In trying to find their way the tangle of streets In Southeast London. The most satisfactory feature in all this development is the power held by the L.C.C. to exercise authority over bu’ldlng design. ... This means that jerry-buildings will no longer be able to destroy the amenities of a district or injure surrounding property by erecting hideous structures. -