TOWN PLANNING AUTHORITY

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27522, 2 December 1954, Page 11

TOWN PLANNING AUTHORITY

STAFF OFFICIALLY TRANSFERRED

NEW QUARTERS EARLY NEXT YEAR The staff of the Christchurch Regional Planning Authority was transferred officially yesterday from the L'liy Councl’s town planning department. Miss Nancy Northcroft is the director of the authority. t e will be increased, but Mr J. C. Foster will continue to be employed as the City Council’s officer attached to the authority to deal with city problems The planning workers are still housed m cramped quarters in the City Council’s chambers, in Manchester street. For several years the inadequacy of the accommodation has been recognised by councillors and when the Town Planning Act was passed, creating regional authorities, a transfer of Miss Northcroft and her staff to the two-storey building in Worcester street, separated from the Manchester street corner building by a section now let by the City Council as a parking area, was approved. The building, better known in recent years as the Unity Centre headquarters of the Canterbury branch of the Communist Party, is being remodelled. The top floor will be the officers of the Regional Planning Authority. When the City Council bought the building, the intention was to convert it into offices for the traffic department, still housed in a brick annex in the back yard of the council chambers.