CITY BEAUTIFUL

Evening Post, Volume CXXIV, Issue 120, 17 November 1937, Page 11

CITY BEAUTIFUL

HUTT ROAD RAMP

EFFORTS AT IMPROVEMENT

■Commendation of the efforts of the Wellington' Beautifying' Society in seeking- to improve environs from the Hutfc Road ramp to the new railway station was expressed in a motion passed at a meeting of the council of the Chamber of Commerce last" evening. . ' '

sin moving the, motion, the vicepresident (Mr. P". E. Pattrick) said the chamber should commend the' society fqr drawing attention to the present asd prospective condition of the environs of the new main approach to the city, from the Hutt Road ramp now in the course of construction to the new railway station. The new highway was across the Thorndon reclamation, of which the Railway Department had some 57 acres and the Hatbour Board the balance—about 11 adres. "'■'.■■;.'..

y'£s[e are well aware that the recliitftation has cost a great deal of fnbtiey and that it is very valuable and much needed for commercial purposes, but jT suggest, and do so most emphatically! > that the authorities concerned have now a unique opportunity to plan a lay-out which will have due regard to , both the ' economic and aesthetic .viewpoints^" said Mr. Pattricki'v! "It is wrong to' assume that these two. considerations are- incompatible. They are definitely compatible. Apart from the road itself, the city unfortunately does not own- even a.square yard of'the 68 acres recently reclaimed, and I suggest that appropriate representations to the authori* ties concerned should result in provision being made (without undue expense) for this main highway, to be made a worthy approach to the capital city. The present is an exceptionally good opportunity for emulating the spirit- of the Melbournites when they constructed their famous St. Kilda Road. -"■'..■ "It is surely most desirable that there should be some uniformity in fencing, some general provisions as to the type of buildings to be. erected, .some grass verges as suggested by,'the Beautifying Society, and. also maybe a number of suitable trees, including a line of trees: on the railway side, together with a splaying of at least some of the approaches from the road to the wharf, so as to provide vistas of the harbour as one is entering the city. Thelraised rail track between Ngahauranga and Kaiwarra has deprived this portion of Wellington's main approach of one of its very fine outlooks. However, that was probably unavoidable, but what is avoidable is a series of unplanned, conglomerative fences, and buildings such as are already beginning to appear on the new highway. "Such provisions as have been indicated would absorb comparatively little.land/and the extra cost of carrying out a planned lay-out would be inconsiderable compared with the very definite advantage and real value that it would be to the city. The Government has a town planner. Can he not be asked to produce a suitable plan to give effect to this?" ;Mr. Pattrick moved that the chamber should commend the Beautifying Society for making representations to Ihe authorities concerned that full and immediate" consideration be given to the matter/of i making-the environs from the HUttfßoad ■ ramp to the new railway station'.,as/beautiful: as might be practicable. !'. _ The motion was. seconded by Mr. R. H. Nimmo, who paid a warm tribute to the work of the Beautifying Society and to the society's president, Captain S. :Holm. The area was no credit to the city. ' ' , , .. Mr. A. R. Hislop supported the motion and said there was.an urgent Heed for improving the approaches to Captain Holm said that, anything the chamber did would help the Beautifying Society in its work. The motion was carried. j