A NEW MANNERS STREET

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 26, 31 January 1924, Page 9

A NEW MANNERS STREET

PLAN .TO WIDEN ROADWAY

COLONNADES ON EITHER SIDE.

, A plan for widening Manners street, unique as far as New Zealand is concerned, though one which has been considered by the Brisbane City Council as the best means of dealing with one of their most pressing street problems, as was reported in "The Post" in an interview with Alderman Cafter some few weeks ago, was placed before the Works Committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon by Mr. S. W. Fearn, a local architect. The proposal is that, instead of demolishing the buildings . along the side of the street in order "to set back the alignment, the ground floor frontage should be set back eight or teh feet and the upper floors'of the existing b'uildings' allowed to overhang the', newly-formed footpath. The idea is on the lines of the system adopted in some of the streets in the older English towns, such as Bath and Bristol. It suggests, also, the "rows" of Chester. ■..,','. . In introducing Mr. Fearn, Mr. D. M'Laren, secretary of the Civie League, said that the league had perused the plans and considered the suggestions embodied in them of sufficient value to merit the attention of the City Council. The technical side of the' proposal, of course,, would have to be dealt with by experts. A big question of finance was nivolved. <t ' j Mr.'Fearn said that the usual method of street widening ; was to throw the whole alignment back-on one side, cutting away from- the ground1 upwards the whole frontage of the.existing buildings: His idea was to cut a%vay the ground floor frontages for footpath space, permitting the present sidewalk to be. used as extra road width, and leaving the first, floor of jthe buildings overhanging. The question of compensation would enter into the scheme, but the council would only have ,to pay for the- area lost to shopkeepers on the ground floor. If the widening was carried out on these lines, he submitted, the street would be one that Wellington or any city might be proud of. Certain difficulties would be encountered,, but he did-not think anyone would say the, ,'scheme was impossible The first.floors of the buildings would be supported on the present frontage line by Doric columns and entablature, which' would give a harmonious to the appearance of the face •of the hue of buildings. In time, as new buildings were erected, and renewals took place, a uniform facade could be made right along the street. The cost would be-nothing like the amount that would have to be, paid if the frontage' was set back on every floor. It might be said that the lighting of the footpath would be affected, but, already there was a tendency to replace glass verandah roofing with galvanised iron, and the lighting was not seriously interfered with by the change.. Perhaps 5 per cent, of the light might be bst. The vista would make a goodjmpression upon visi- , tors. • - . ■: • ■■'■ ' Councillor Burns asked in what way the compensation for taking the land would be lessened. :; ' _ Mr Fearn: "If the owners lose 10 ■#£% -43>th/ .on; %. ground^Jpor, they' will not losers much as they would do upon three, four, or five floors" Councillor Burns: "Still; the great value of a site! lies in the ground floor." Mr. Fearn said he only" asked that the scheme should be given /fair consideration It possibly had its'disadvantages. ihe acting-chairman of the committee,. Councillor J. Thompson, said the plan and the accompanying report would be1' considered by-the: committee, but he cpuld not say whether, the council could^ nnd the means at present to carry out such a scheme. ■ ■