TAKING OF LAND NEAR AIRPORT

Press, Volume XCIV, Issue 28013, 6 July 1956, Page 12

TAKING OF LAND NEAR AIRPORT

RIGHTS OF PROPERTY OWNERS CHAMBER TO CONSIDER COUNCIL PROPOSALS Full compensation—on present-day subdivision values—should be paid property owners if land was to be taken on the perimeter of Harewood airport, said Mr R. A. Witbrock at last evening's meeting of the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce. “You must consider the rights of the private property owners—they should not be made to pay for something h hich win benefit the whole community.” he said. The air vigilance committee of the chamber will consider the Christchurch City Council’s proposals on subdivision in the neighbourhood of the airport. and report to the next meeting of the council of the chamber. On a 24-acre propertv which his family bought in Burnside road 20 years ago he paid £75 in rates in 1953. and £5OO this year, said Mr Witbrock. “If this is not being forced into subdivision, what is?” He had been paid £3O an acre for another property which was taken for extensions to the airport runways, said Mr Witbrock. It had never been used fnr that purpose. If taken today fnr the Railways Department's loop line from Sockburn to Styx it would be worth £3OO an acre, and £5OO if subdivided, said Mr Witbrock. Other properties had increased in value enormously over the years, and it was wrong that property owners around Harewood airport should not benefit from the growth of the city, said Mr Witbrock. There was plenty of room west of the airport, and this was not privately owned, but owned by the City Council. the North Canterbury Catchment Board or the Crown, he said. “That has nothing to do with this problem ” said Mr J. Bnvd-Clark. for the ail vigilance committee. “I only wint to know whether we should support the principle of having the land around the airport free from buildings. We would support fair values all the time, but that is not the question here.” “We should also watch industrial development along the loop line.” said Mr W S Mac Gibbon. “It would be wicked if the Railways promoted an industrial area right up to the airport.”