Land Said To Be Too Costly For Dairying

Press, Volume CV, Issue 30980, 9 February 1966, Page 10

Land Said To Be Too Costly For Dairying

Members of the McFadden and Johns families told the Waimairi County Council’s town-planning committee yesterday that their dairy-farm holdings in Johns road, Belfast, were becoming too highly valued to continue in that use, and must soon be subdivided, possibly for market-garden use.

They were objecting to a council proposal to fix a minimum frontage of 660 ft on the north side of Johns road between the Groynes and the Main North road. Both families suggested that a new road should be formed to take the place of Johns road as a proposed limited | access road. I Mr G. F. Rea, who api peared for Mr C. J. McFadden and his two sons, Messrs T. G. and R. J. McFadden, and for Mr A. F. Johns and his son, Mr B. F. Johns, said the 660 ft frontage requirement, if adopted, would be too rigid, giving no discretion to the council. He said that the McFadden and Johns families owned all the land on the north side of Johns road between the Groynes and the main road. It was a pocket of some of the most fertile land in Canterbury. Both families ran dairy farms, but the land had just been revalued on the basis of subdivision, presumably for market garden use. It seemed inevitable that this change would take place in a few years’ time, if for no other reason than that the land had become too valuable for dairying. But 660 ft would stop five and 10-acre marketgarden subdivisions. Developed Considerably The south side of the road had been developed considerably, and it had been exempted for 48 chains from the main road. It seemed unjust and illogical to treat either side of the road differently. After detailing family land holdings, Mr C. J. McFadden said that until recently, the capital value was £32,150 and the unimproved value £16,450. This had recently been increased to £47,250 capital value, and £30,800 unim- ; proved. I “As a result, we will have i to seriously consider selling i the home farm unit,” he said, i “Pressure will mount for its disposal.” • He said he was I aged 70 years. The land

should be sold reasonably: soon so that his sons could j develop new farms. The land | was far too valuable for a dairy farm. Alternative Suggestion Mr McFadden said that as an alternative to using Johns road as a limited access road, a new one could be built from the Groynes, and along the Waimakariri bank to eome out north of the Belfast Hotel. Mr B. F. Johns said that I he and his father farmed as; Johns Brothers, and were the ' second largest town milk sup-1 pliers to Canterbury Dairy j Farmers, Ltd. Their home l block was on . Johns road • north, immediately to the | west of the main highway. The unimproved value of the block was now £54,000, and its capital value £68,100. He would say its sale value was nearer £90,000. It was unlikely that a buyer could be found at that figure for a dairy farm. The land was preeminently suited for market garden. He supported the proposed new road, and said that 660 ft frontages were unreasonable. Five chains would not be unreasonable. Another Objection Another objection to the 660 ft frontage proposal came from Mr H. J. Reynolds, a former member of the council. He said he had bought 32 acres at Sawyers Arms and Johns roads 31 years ago. He had disposed of two- i thirds of the land, keeping the corner block. If the restriction on frontages were applied, it would greatly depreciate the value, and if he subdivided, he would have to put in an access of the land facing Johns road, as access from Johns road would be prohibited. “I’ve been most unfortunate with this land,” said Mr Reynolds. “Then years ago, the railway put a proclamation on part of it (for the HornbyStyx loop line) and 1 could do nothing but accept compensation. In 1963, I wanted to cut off a 32-perch section for a member of my family, and the council took 16-)ft off 16 chains for road widening, equal to about three sections, worth £l5OO. “I’ve had a slap on one side of the face, and then on

the other, and I’m just about fed up,” he said. “The council should compensate me, and take title to the whole remaining property, 14 acres 3 perches.”

New Suggestion Mr G. H. Reynolds, 595 Johns road, said he owned 2 acres of land which he had hoped to subdivide. The council proposals would stop that. Support for the limited access role for Johns road was given by the traffic engineer of the Christchurch Metropolitan Regional Planning Authority (Mr M. Douglass). He said, however, that the suggestion that the land might become market garden was new to him, and would alter basic thinking to the point where the authority might well reconsider the question. The council, as things were, had to control the road to prevent ribbon development. The council had full say where a road went. Longterm plans envisaged a bypass parallel to the Main North road and a service road to give access to the houses now on the south side of Johns road. The committee announced that it would make a recommendation to the council.