CITY RESERVES.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 232, 24 June 1908, Page 9

CITY RESERVES.

PROPOSED LEASING.

PRECIS OF THE BILL.

Tlio City Council hopes to havo passed tliis session an Act to empower tlio Corporation to lease portions of the 1 Town' Bolt rcsorves to associations aiid clubs formed for tlio bona .fido purposes of amateur field sports. Tlio following is a precis of the draft Bill which was considered.by tho. Council at the! special meeting last evening:— The Corporation may let, if it tlnnks fit, by privato contract, any parts of tlio Reserves known as the Town Belt to any club, association, or union for tlio bona fido purposes of amateur field sports, and registered under tlio provisions of the Unclassified Societies Registration Act, 1895," subject to tho provisions of this Aofc, and subjoct to such other covenants, conditions, and restrictions as the Corporation shall think fit. Tho rent payable under any lease shall bo deemed to include all rates exclusive of water rates and sanitation loan rates. AVhero tho area of the land leased is less than 2J- acres tho lease may bo one for the oxcliisive use of the samo. Whon it exceeds 2} acres there shall bo reserved to tho public a right of aeccss at any timo between sunriso and sunset on Sundays, Christmas Day, and Good Friday, and any day on which no charge is being made. ' ' The lesseo of any land leasod under this Act. shall, on giving soven days'_ noticoof its intention so to dn by advertisement in somo newspaper circulating in tho City or Wellington, bo entitled to charge for admission to tho land leased, subjpet as follows:—Such charges shall not exceed ono shilling for adults and sixpcnco for children under 15 for permission to enter such ground and any part thereof other than a stand; the lessee and his sub-lessees or sub-tenants shall not charge for admission on more, than 120 days in any oris rear. Tho Council may mako by-laws to remilato the conduct of tlio public on any lai'd leased under the Act; or prevont tho pubb'c from at any timo entering upon any land set anart as a playing'ground. No leaso granted under tho provisions of this Act, shall > compriso an area oxcecding 30 acres,' and no lesseo shall hold moro than 30 acres. No loaso shall_ ho granted for any original term . oxcoeding 21 years, hut any such lease may bo granted with provisions for renewal for successive p.eriods of not exceeding 14'.years_ upon such terms and subject tn such conditions as tho Council shall think fit. ( Every lease granted pursuant to this Act shall bo \ granted subject to tho following conditions!, in addition to such conditions as tho Council shall yiriwribo; and shall_ eontain all covenants, conditions, and provisions and agreements ncenssiry or suitable for. tho purpose of giving cfFect to' such conditions :— (1) That' tho lesseo shall not "assign • such leaso without tho consent of tho Corporation, and (that such consent may bo refused by the Corporation without any reason being given therefor, (2) That the lesseo shall not sub-let for any period exceeding six months: and that such sub-letting shall bo made only to a club, association, or union for tho "boiia-fide" purposes of field sports or trustees for sUcli club, association, or union. {S) That not. moro than four-fifths of tlio land comprised in such leaso shall bo

set apart exclusively for playing purposes. (4) That thojand so leased shall rovert to tho : Corporation and tho leaso thereof hp determined in tho event of tho land not

being bona lido used by tho lessco.for tho purpose of field sports or upon breach of any of tho lessee's -covenants in tho leaso thereof. The Council may at any time after tho expiry of ten years, from the granting of any leaso under this Actt resumo possession of tho land leased under such lease upon piving twelve months' notico of its intention so to 3 do, and . upon paying tho then estimated value of the buildings thereon, and tho value of excavation of levelling works, executed ' with' its consent ; such valuo if necessary to bo fixed by arbitration in tho ordinary way. . , . . ; Tho proposed measure was approved in this form.