The Akaroa Mail FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1914 SUBDIVISION IN AKAROA.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume LXXII, Issue 4368, 30 January 1914, Page 2

The Akaroa Mail FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1914 SUBDIVISION IN AKAROA.

The interview between Mr T. W. Wilkinp, representing the owners of that portion of the Narbey estate within the borough, and the Akaroa Borough Council opens up a seiious problem in AKaroa. There is no doubt that Akaroa is being kept back from progressing through the lack of Buitabie building sites or suitable residences. Only a few daya ago we heard of wealthy people in the South who came to Akaroa to buy a bouse and land to settle down in Akaroa. These people had to go away without finding a suitable residence. The •lass of home that is wanted in Akarou is a house ixeta five rooms upwards on BO acre or two of ground, and nob ton distant from the Post Office, Bank, etc. Such residences are simply not procurable. To begin with tLt> ice

of land is almost prohibitive in the borough, and when one considers the CO;S of cutting up an-'l roaling sections tha price asked by 'ihe owner for 0 section is beyond tho rnsarn of mo?t people. Tbe Narbey estate provides the cla33 of section mooi required, and. for tbe progress of the town ie would a good thing to have tho cs:ate cut up. The Question at iasue is whether the

Council will a , low the owners to put in only one fcntpa'.b, or demand two footpaths svith concrete keibing and channelling, culverts, etc Wo ar c not thinking of the beneficiaries of the Narbey estate in urging tbe Council to ■ncourage subdivision to the best of heir powers, because this should ipply to all landowners who contein plate cutting up their property. We are sure that in other towns land speculators have been allowed to hand over sections roaded with only one path and with far less up to date con ditions than the local Borough ouncii demand.?, There is no doubt that the town plauning iJei is au excellent one, 1 but anyone reading the suggestions in j the Town Planning Bill will see thatj the width of the streets i 3 not insisted ■ upon very strenuously nor the j double footpath. The great point; made by the advocates of town piau-j ning is tbe necessity for tho houses to] be well back in the section?, allowing for a fair width of garden. The mem ' bars of the Council are inspecting tho ground, and are obtaining a legal opinion as to their position. Jf at all possible the Council should meet the owners and help on the placing of more borough sections on the market.