HALSWELL URBAN DEVELOPMENT

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 28001, 22 June 1956, Page 12

HALSWELL URBAN DEVELOPMENT

PLANNING AUTHORITY RECOMMENDATIONS

COUNCIL REJECTS REPORT UNANIMOUSLY

If the Regional Planning Authority’s recommendations for the establishment of an urban fence at Halswell and a limit of five acres on subdivision outside that area were adopted, the future for the development of the township would be “very dismal.” the Halswell County Council decided yesterday. The council unanimously opposed the recommendations of the report, and resolved to consider any further subdivisions in the county on their merits. Five subdivisions were dealt with at the meeting. “Areas outside the urban fence as defined by my authority are at present subject to a minimum subdivision requirement of five acres,” the Regional Planning Officer (Miss Nancy Northcroft) advised. The authority had defined an urban fence for Halswell, within which further development could take place. She submitted the authority’s report for comment. “Halswell settlement is loosely scattered with small holdings, market gardens and grazing land, mixed in with residential development, said the report. “By far the greatest amount of land is used for farming and allied uses. There is no definite concentration of development in the locality, but houses intermingle with open “What little concentration there is occurs in the immediate vicinity of the triangle bounded by Halswell road. Paterson avenue and Glover road. Many of the houses are farm houses or attached to small hold,nSS’ Route of Urban Fence The report recommended an urban fence following Paterson avenue, Glover road, cutting across to Sabys road, along that road to Halswell Junction road and back to Paterson aV lnsYde the fence, 82 per cent., or 81.5 acres, was available for development. continued the report. Developed at a density of three houses a gross acre that area would be sufficient for 244 houses. There were 50 houses within the area, so at least 194 houses could be built in the area. “This will be sufficient for many years to come,” said the report. The Halswell area was one of only two small concentrations of good quality pasture land near to Christ church. “The predominant farming use is dairying, for town milk• suPP and to allow urban development to unread over the area would be unwise. especially as Christchurch has difficulty with its nu k supply at present. a difficulty which will increa&( is the population grows. From August. 195 T to e 3 n dwellings were built in the Hal swell locality, an average of about 10 a year. ,a “Judgin r g eP b r Y t Past trends therefore, it seems that the demand tot‘ residential or other sections tn the locality is not very great—of the order of 10 to 20 a year—and those that are required could easily be provided, for the next five years at least, in area, where the concentration of present a.velopment is greatest, in the immediate vicinity of the school in School road.”

“Later Subdivision Impossible” “The enforcement of this five-acre limit would make planned subdivision at a later date impossible.” said the chairman (Mr J. McKenzie). We should oppose this tooth and nail. The two biggest dairy herds in the district supplied large institutions, and less milk was supplied to Christchurch each year. Vegetable growing was almost non-existent, he said. “The valuation officers who recently revalued the county made no secret of the fact that they were valuing the land on its possible value upon subdivision,” said Mr McKenzie. “But here we have another authority trying to curb that.” Cr. H. Cox: On many of these properties the rates are more than the rent. , After dealing with the authority s report the council approved five subdivisions—two of which were not recommended by the authority. One was for a block of five shops (grocer, greengrocer, butcher and fishmonger and another), opposite the council chambers, one was a Church Property Trustees’ block of 50 acres on Halswell road adjoining the city boundary, one of two acres on Cashmere road and another of one acre on Halswell road. These latter two were not recommended by the authority. The fifth was of one section on Worsleys track.