BANK AT THE BASIN

Evening Post, Volume CXXI, Issue 29, 4 February 1936, Page 13

BANK AT THE BASIN

SPORTS BODIES AGREE

schem: brought nearer

An assurance that the sports bodies • of Wellington were now agreed that the proposal made by the Wellington Cricket Association that an embankment on the eastern side of the Basin Reserve would considerably improve the ground was given to the reserves committee of the City Council yesterday afternoon by a deputation consisting of Mr. P. B. Broad, chairman of the management committee of the Wellington Cricket Association, Mr. A. C. Kitto, president of the Wellington Amateur Athletic Centre, and Mr. W. B. Hicks, chairman of the Wellington Football Association. The original proposal has, however, been modified, for a lower embankment. Mr. Broad said that representatives of the several interested bodies had met at the Basin and discussed the scheme, which, they were agreed, would provide desirable accommodation at the lowest possible cost. The reserves committee had apparently been alarmed that the building of an embankment would spoil the view from residences on the eastern side of the reserve, but the modified scheme would not in any way interfere with the view, as the bank would be eleven feet high, the height of the present fence. Furthermore, it would encroach only twenty-one feet on the playing area, instead of thirty-six feet as previously proposed, and when the field was swung back more and the pavilion, as had been planned some time ago, the actual loss of width would be only six feet, which would be neither here nor there. Mr. Broad said that he understood from the City Engineer's department that sufficient spoil would be obtainable from the laying of the big drainage culvert in from Riddiford Street to the harbour to build the embankment. Were the spoil not so used it would have to be carted away at considerable cost. He referred again to the popularity of "The Hill" at the Sydney Cricket Grounds. AN OFFER WITHDRAWN. The faces of the committemen rose and then fell noticeably when Mr. Broad recalled an offer made by the Cricket Association to contribute £500 towards the cost of the work, and said that, as a result of the unfortunate financial result of the M.C.C. visit—a loss of about £300, or about half the association's assets —they had to ask the committee to regard the offer as withdrawn in the meantime. Mr. Kitto and Mr. Hicks supported Mr. Broad in his contentions that the embankment would giye a marked improvement in accommodation for spectators and should result in larger attendances at sports gatherings and matches, to the benefit of the council as well as to sports organisations. The modified scheme would not encroach upon the running track nor take away from the playing area to any extent, said members of the deputation in answer to Councillor R. McKeen, M.P. "You realise, of course," said Councillor McKeen, "that the withdrawal of the offer of £500 somewhat intensifies our problem." The chairman (Councillor J. Burns) said that the reserves committee had had no real objection to the scheme except that it did not previously have the approval of other sports bodies and would have resulted in an' encroachment upon the ground. Now, as a result of the discussion by those interested, a practical scheme had been brought forward. The committee would consider it at once, and, if they regarded it favourably, would ask the City Engineer to prepare an estimate of cost. The scheme, he thought, had been brought nearer by the discussion among the sports bodies.