TOWN PLANNING SCHEME

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29263, 22 July 1960, Page 5

TOWN PLANNING SCHEME

Action By State Criticised Concern that the Government appeared to be acting against the provisions of the town planning scheme was expressed by the City Council. “It is understood that the Education Department has a proposal in hand for converting into regional offices the property on the corner of Chester street and Cranmer square formerly occupied by St. Margaret’s College,” the town planning committee said.

The property was designated for school purposes and within an area zoned as residential C. Education buildings were a predominant use in a residential C zone, but professional and commercial offices were neither a predominant nor a conditional use in such a zone.

“The use of this property for regional offices of the Education Department would appear to be contrary to the Government’s policy to establish a Government centre on land bounded by Hereford, Montreal and Cashel streets and Cambridge terrace, which it will be recalled was the subject of a Ministerial requirement,” the committee continued.

The establishment of the office block might well be used as a precedent for the future. The council adopted the committee’s suggestion that it write to the Minister of Works (Mr Watt) disapproving of the proposal and pointing out that as the Crown required all local authorities to prepare town planning schemes the council considered all Government departments should conform to the local bodies’ district schemes.