Lawyers Seek Forms For Zoning

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 31983, 9 May 1969, Page 10

Lawyers Seek Forms For Zoning

Lawyers in Christchurch are seeking to have a standard information form on zoning accepted by the City Council’s town planning office because zoning is often vital in the buying and selling of properties.

The executive of the Canterbury District Law Society has approached the council, but the matter is not likely to be settled until the review of the City Council’s district planning scheme, involving a considerable amount of rexonging, is completed. The Law Society hopes that when the City Council gives a lead by accepting a standard form, other local bodies administering planning schemes will follow suit. A law requiring the zoning of a property to be defined on the title would involve a vast amount of work because changes in zoning are frequent, even between fiveyearly reviews. The difference in value between residential, commercial and industrial properties makes zoning a vital factor in sales, while a change in zoning of surrounding properties can substantially affect the market value of a property the sale of which is contemplated. Town planners, therefore, have to keep proposed changes of zoning secret until district schemes and reviews are publicly notified. Any owners or interested parties can call at the town planning offices and obtain details of the zoning of properties under district schemes or changes in zoning proposed in publicly notified reviews. A lawyer yesterday advised any person buying or selling property to check its zoning and to get the information in writing. A fee for either issuing or

answering a standard information form has not been discussed. “Public works, such as bridge approach, road-widen-ing or building of a substation, can obviously affect the value of adjacent properties. “Changing the zoning of land from residential to industrial, or commercial, and divisions within each class of zoning, can affect the value of adjacent properties,” the lawyers said. “Every person is entitled to seek and obtain information about zoning from the town planning officers.” This was confirmed by the City Council town planning office yesterday. A spokesman said that hundreds of telephone calls, inquirers in person and letters were dealt with. ■