BUILDER’S STORE IN ILAM ROAD

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27148, 18 September 1953, Page 8

BUILDER’S STORE IN ILAM ROAD

PERMIT GRANTED BY COUNTY “NO RIGHT TO REFUSE ” Objections to the granting of a permit. on the grounds that the area was zoned as residential, for the erection of a builder’s store and garage in Dam road were not sustained by the Waimairi County Council last evening. “This is a residential area, and we did tell the residents that we would not allow industrial permits,” said the chairman (Mr W. W. Laing). “In granting this permit, we have not broken our word. This is a store, and we had no right at all to refuse the permit. It is not a workshop or industry. and our by-laws say we must issue a permit for a store. We have not in any way broken our word to the people. We have no authority whatever to refuse the permit. “I could further. We did refuse the application when it was first made. We obtained legal advice from our own solicitors which, with another legal firm, said we had no right to refuse it So we just had to issue it. To safeguard ourselves, we stipulated that no machinery was to be installed. We would not refuse to issue a permit for a garage, which is only a store,” said Mr Laing. Mr Laing said the council would not seek the opinion of any other bod) before it issued building permits. “We are elected by the ratepayers and it we are not competent they know what to do." A protest against the issue of the Permit was made bv a legal firm on behalf of the Wairakei Progress League.