SUBDIVISIONS IN WAIMAIRI

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28210, 23 February 1957, Page 6

SUBDIVISIONS IN WAIMAIRI

CONSIDERATION ON MERITS

Subdivisions in Waimairi county will no longer receive the council’s automatic approval. On Thursday evening the council unanimously rescinded the controversial motion adopted at its September meeting. Under that resolution the council decided to recommend for approval all scheme plans of subdivision in the county “until such time as the council makes public its proposed district planning scheme, and, further, that should the council in its scheme restrict the subdivision of any land in the county, the property owners affected by such restriction shall receive full compensation for any loss in the value of their land brought about by the restriction placed over their land.” Legal Obligation The council was under a legal obligation to provide and maintain a district planning scheme and, once it was operative, to enforce it, said Cr. P. Wynn Williams, speaking to his notice of motion that the September resolution be rescinded. In the interim—until the scheme was disclosed—the council was empowered to prohibit any subdivisions or works which would not conform to the proposed scheme, he said. The scheme could be prejudiced from the start if all subdivisions were, approved in the meantime, and the ratepayers would have to meet the cost of compensation to individual subdivisions. Cr. Wynn Williams said the council was inconsistent in approving all subdivisions but rejecting applications for many other works. Three such rejections had | been made at this meeting.

To rescind the resolution would give the council the power to reject any subdivisions which would not conform with the proposed scheme, said Cr. WynnWilliams.

“Some of us—without any legal training—possibly did not realise the fine implications of the resolution,” said Cr. H. J. Reynolds. The motion was put, and approved unanimously on voices.