GREATER BUTT PLANS

Evening Post, Volume 50, Issue 50, 27 August 1926, Page 8

GREATER BUTT PLANS

SUBDIVISION PROGRESS

SECTION SELLING: DEFERRED

PAYMENT HOMES

INTERESTING BUBAL SCHEME,

Great progress has been made with the reinforced concrete piers of the now railway bridge across the Hutt Eivor, the "ramps" (road crossings) aro well in hand, and the formation work over the straight milo stretch northward from the White's Lino railway station to "Waterloo road is advanced. A short distanco beforo tho railway reaches that station, two streots (nrst Bandwick road, then White's Line) are "ramped" to permit tho railway to pass under. KOAD WIDENING. ' Part of the scheme is to greatly widen Bandwick road, which is expected to become a first-class thoroughfare,and will be 80 feet wide. Its continuation in the direction of the old Bcllevue Gardens is the much narrower Ludlam crescent. Fortunately, one of the new Groater Hutt subdivisions (that of Ludlam crescent, sometimes known sa the "Biddiford Block") fronts on the crescent, and tho district office of tho Lands Department (which is supervising that part of the Greater Hutt scheme) in its plans, surrendered to the crescent a strip of land widening it to the full 66 feet. This is important, not only to the residents of the locality, but to through traffic, the volume of which may be guessed when it is remembered that tho Greater Hutt development east of 'the river includes industrial as well as residential elements. On one front of tho Ludlam crescent area is the widened crescent, on the other front is another 66 feet street facing the White's Line railway station, and. on tho flank is an avenue 99 feet wide, to which tho name of Mr. Massey has been given. Massoy avenue is set off at either end of two triangular reserves (four in all) for beautffication and public resort; it opens directly on to the railway station. On paper the lay out is impressive, and it should bo not less so in actuality. The Hutt Borough Council nas completed the lines of pipes for drainage and water and other services essential to the sale of the sections. The owners of some of the recentlysold sections are already fencing, and there is every indication that with finer weather both tho new railway station and ita adjacent cluster pf houses will begin to take more definite shape. A new feature is the laying of drainago and water pipes across tho rear of the sections, which have a minimum depth of 132 feet. MINIMUM FRONTAGE OF SECTIONS. ''The area immediately availablo for sale is between Ludlam crescent ,and the railway station, and is flanked by Massey avenue and. Oxford terrace (which streets are to be formed by the iower Hutt Borough Council), and Comprises about 50 sections, five of which were sold at last sale at pricos '>qual to about £330 for a 66 foot see;ion, or about £5 a foot. None of tho ■cations fronting Ludlam crescent (inslnding the five sold) has a frontage )f less than 66 feet, but'the frontages fcf the.other sections are generally narrower, though none is below 51 feet. Their proximity to Lower Hutt (they are within a stone's throw of the old Bellevuo Gardens) works them out as the pick of the Greater Hutt scheme from the point of view of ready sale, and it is part of the policy of the administrators of the scheme to realise such sections so as to strengthen the finance. The idea is that the workers' home subdivision in another part of the Greater Hutt area (the scheme disposes of over 600 acres altogether) stands to benefit by such stronger finance, and that the more successfully-some of'the sections are realised for cash, the fur? ther the workers' home principle (deferred payment) can be carried. So far as the administering ■ authority is concerned, there is, of course, no element of private profit entering into the sales, any more than into tho deferred payment (workers' home) sales; but whereas tho latter are allocated to certain fortunate persons selected (by a committeee) out of many applicants, the Ludlam crescent sections aro offered to the highest bidder. UNIQTJB METHODS OF DISPOSAL. It is safe to say that no such dual scheme of subdivision and settlement has ever been attempted in New Zealand beforo. Probably nowhere else have sales at auction, and deferred sales by selection, been so co-ordinated. And certainly the betterment system lias never been tried out so ambitiously by a New Zealand Government as in tho Hutt Valley. That is why such unusual interest attaches to tho workers.' homos that have sprung up on Mandel's Block, and to the sections now opened up for sale in the Ludlatn crescent subdivision. Tho conditions of sale of the Ludlam crescent sections are unique. A buyer has the option of buying under any one of four conditions: (1) cash; (2) cash "by instalments; (3) ordinary deferred payments; (4) - special deferred pay- j ments. Tho purchaser for cash secures a freehold title followed by no restriction whatever. Also, No. 2 (cash by instalments) and No. 3 (ordinary deferred payments) Jfro free . from restriction; but No. 4 contains tho following clause: —"Except on tho recommendation of the Land Board and with the approval of tho Minister of Lands, it shall not be lawful for any lessee or licensee of land subject to tho provisions of tho Hutt Valley Lands Settlement Act, 1925, to transfer his interest in such land before the expiration of ton years from the date of the original disposal of tho land under the aforesaid Act." It is understood, however, that the restriction mentioned will bo administered reasonably.