“WILL SIT TIGHT”

Press, Volume LXXXIIi, Issue 25302, 30 September 1947, Page 6

“WILL SIT TIGHT”

OWNER’S INTENTION

“There’ll be a riot in this neighbourhood. I’ll be interested to hear what the R.S.A. thinks about this matter.” said Mr William Brown, owner of the dwelling at 62 Charles street (which runs off Wilson’s road), when told of the City Council’s demolition order late last evening. “I’m going to sit tight,” he said, when asked what he intended to do. The dwelling was occupied by Mr and Mrs R. Tregoning, he said. Mr Tregoning was a returned serviceman. Although he had never advertised the place to let, he had received 34 applications and selected the Tregonings as the most deserving case. His property at 60 Charles street formerly had a frontage of 66ft and was 165 ft deep, he said. The lot now occupied by the Tregonings had a frontage of about 30ft. Mr Brown said he had lived in the area for 70 years and had seen most of the houses built. Seeing the housing shortage becoming more acute, he had determined to help and bought an Army hut 10ft Sin by llft-3in. He had placed this on the section 7ft from the western fence, which was another 12 yards aWay from the house next door. On the eastern side there was 12ft to his own house. The converted dwelling had been extended to 22ft 6in in length, with a narrow end facing the street. Inside there was a living room and bedroom and in a small outhouse there was a bathroom, washhouse, and conveniences- *He had built small porches at the front and back doors. Gas, electricity, and water were laid on. He had helped tradesmen with all the work. Asked about the question of permits, Mr Brown? said he had telephoned the City Council when he planned the job and a Mr Barnes told him to go ahead. When the work was almost completed, he again called the council to make an inspection. AMr Cade’ saw the drainlayer on the job and left instructions for Mr Brown to call at his office. There he was told locality plans and elevation plans were needed. He supplied these with photographs. The City Engineer (Mr E. Somers), Cr. Griffiths, and two council men haa then come down and Cr. Griffiths told him to burn the place. They told him the building would not meet their requirements. Recently he had been told that the issue of a demolition order awaited confirmation by the council. The taxi-driver who took a reporter to Charles street said the converted Army hut was a palace compared with some of the places he had seen ,in Christchurch. He thought the R.fJ.A., of which he was a member, woud be up in arms at the proposal to rob a returned man of his home.