FIXING STREET LEVELS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 January 1922, Page 8

FIXING STREET LEVELS.

DISCUSSION BY COUNCIL. A QUESTION OF POLICY. The question of supplying particulars of street levels, especially to applicants intending to erect houses, was discussed at last night’s meeting of the New Plymouth Borough Council. A sub-committee, consisting of the Mayor (Mr. F. E. Wilson) and Crs. R. A. Large and W. Rumball, submitted the following recommendations: That in order to obviate the possibility of involving the council in disputes and litigation the borough engineer be instructed that he should supply particulars of levels only in relation to streets where the levels have been fixed by the procedure provided the Municipal Corporations Act or by the construction of such streets in some permanent manner.

That in relation to streets where the levels have not been permanently fixed the borough engineer, if he can do so without incurring the expense of taking levels, be permitted to give applicants an indication oi what, in his opinion, the levels may eventually be, bukjsuch indication shall be given only upon the express understanding that it is in no way binding upon the present or future councils. That Messrs. William Putt and* others be informed that as the levels of Dartmoor Avenue had never been previously fixed the council cannot see its way to accede to their request to be provided with access to their properties as easy as that existing prior to the avenue in question bei " formed and metalled.

Disagreement with the report was expressed by Cr. J. Kibby. He thought that the council should use every endeavor to give anyone who wished to build a fair idea of the levels of the street.

Cr. V. Griffiths also opposed the text of the resolution. He thought persons who intended to build had a right to know what the council proposed to do in the matter of levels. He enquired as to whether there was any by-law affecting the question. The Mayor rephed to the effect that by law a borough was bound to fix’ the levels within two months of formation, a thing which was done in no borough; o r n account, of the expense. In supporting the sub-committee’s report the Mayor said he was against the system of giving levels piece-meal as at present. He believed that even if the council gave levels in the way ay had been doing it Tgould not be in a legal manner. There was a definite way of fixing levels—namely, by taking a whole street. Where streets had been permanently constructed (metalled) —and he believed this applied to most of the streets in New Plymouth—the levels were fixed. The sub-committee’s report was eventually adoptde, Crs. Kibby and Griffiths recording their votes against it.