PROGRESS OF THE CITY

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24983, 18 September 1946, Page 5

PROGRESS OF THE CITY

POLL ON SUGGESTIONS BEING TAKEN WIDE RANGE OF PROPOSALS Believing that its members are a fair representation of the citizens who have the good of their city at heart, the advisory committee on civic beautification recently set up by the Christchurch Expansion and Development Committee is now conducting an interesting survey of the opinions of its members on 64 proposals that have been put forward for the improvement and development of Christchurch. Members of the committee were asked to put forward suggestions at random. They have been collated and are now being circulated to all members in the form of a questionnaire. Each member is asked to say whether he approves, disapproves, gives qualified approval or disapproval, or requires more information about each suggestion. By this means it is hoped to establish the proposals on which there is general agreement and over which little contention can be expected, in order to facilitate the preparation of agendas for forthcoming meetings The full list cannot be set out here for reasons of space. It includes such proposals as a town hall, civic centre, improvements to the appearance of the railway station elimination of street poles, prevention of vandalism, limiting building in Hagley Park to one-storey structures masked with trees, improving the surroundings of schools, improvements to lay-out of Square, the need for eliminating “derelict localities such as Victoria street,” covered parking areas, removal of tram tracks from Oxford terrace, advocacy of low fences, a “green belt” for the city, pressing for the new loop railway line from Styx to the south to be taken across non-productive land, and use of M.E.D. reserve funds to buy land facing the Avon for future public buildings. Other interesting suggestions include the proposal that the area west of the Avon be reserved for residences, an appeal to owners to modernise their verandas, the elimination of outdoor advertising, the covering of side channels on all bus and tram routes, and the encouragement of research in timber substitutes to preserve our forests.