Committee firm: ‘flats are for granny’

Press, 8 February 1980, Page 4

Committee firm: ‘flats are for granny’

The Waimairi County Council was discriminating against solo mothers if it did not allow them to use “granny flats” proposed by county planners, the council's town-planning committee was told last evening.

The council is making provision in its district scheme for granny flats, because of an increasing demand for them. If the full council adopts the recommendations of * its town-planning committee, granny flats will be permitted as of right in rural and residential zones. ■Cr M. E. Murray told the committee that solo mothers were as deserving as elderly dependent relatives of care and support. One in four marriages was breaking up. The temporary nature of. the granny flat fitted"the kihd of accommodation -needs solo parents had, she said;-: . ' .Cr E. L. Boriisch said he took “no cognisance of Cr

Murray’s comments, which are far and away beyond the brief the committee has been given.”;,

“We are not an arm of the Government,” he said.

Cr F. Chisholm said the Housing Corporation seemed to have no difficulty finding accommodation for solo mothers.

“The council had no evidence of the need to provide housing for solo mothers, said the County Chairman (Mr D. B. Rich). "Perhaps it is something we should look at.”

Cr I. Calvert said granny flat ordinances stipulated one bedroom only. “I don’t see how one bedroom will do for a solo mother and two or three children,” he said. “If the need is shown for accommodation for solo mothers we can change the scheme to cater for it. Until now we have had no appli-

cations for accommodation for solo parents," he said. The county planner (Mr D. D. Hinman) said the “granny flat” philosophy was to allow elderly relatives to live in their own homes, but to have access to help when it was needed.

A fully complying apartment would be better for the solo mother wanting to live with parents than a granny flat, because it would have more bedroom space.

The granny flat was suited to the elderly relative wanting to retain independence, but needing help with housework, needing health surveillance, companionship or security. The committee decided that the flats should be relocatable, so that they could be removed from the site when the dependent relatives no longer needed them. A bond or surety would ensure this.