TOWN PLANNING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 121, 17 February 1944, Page 3

TOWN PLANNING

Wellington Scheme To Be , Prepared COUNCIL DISCUSSION

The' Wellington City Council has asked its town planning committee to complete the town planning and zoning scheme as soon as possible and bring it forward for, the council’s approval. At a meeting of the council hist mithj. Cr. R. L. Macalister said that the time was long overdue when areas should be sot aside for light and heavy industries. .... , ~ *.rb(? mayor, IMr. llislop, said that all councillors would agree that the completion of the plan and the necessary regulations was desirable,, but it would take some considerable time. He suggested t hiit mean t ime the by-laws committee might consider the question of the height of buildings in relation to street width. The purpose of streetwidening was to relieve traffic congestion. but, if buildings were built to a height one and a half Limes the width of the street, that purpose might well be defeated. , ~ Cr. B. Todd said that the problem might be overcome by basing the maximum height of buildings ou ground aud light area, iu accordance with modern practice, rather than on street width., Cr. R. H. Nimmo said that Wellington was being outstripped by other cities and was losing heavy industries. There would be a rapid development of industry after the war; and the early setting aside of an industrial area, without waiting for the completion of the planning scheme, was desirable. The trouble was that Wellington was overbuilt, said Cr. W. H. Stevens. How, he asked, could' iiidiistrku ureas be. set aside without moving nq..ses? Little eocld be done about town planning till the Government fulfilled its promise and brought dov-n a slum Clearance bill. “While we have the festering sore of To Aro flat before our eyes we can’t do very mueb,” he added. Cr. R. A. Wright said the council once had a full-time town plauuing .officer, but. it had been, afraid to look at his report, To make it effective would have cost hundreds, of thousands. If there was slum clearance where were the people to be housed? It would cost a million to clear Te Aro flat. How could they town-plan a city already built to capacity? In Canberra they had a townplaiincd city. He would not live there if he were paid to; you could not shop without a motor-car. To re-plan 'Wellington would cost a tremendous sum which would have to be raised by poll. They would have as much chance of carrying such a poll as being struck by lightning. '