MAIDSTONE PARK

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 40, 17 February 1939, Page 18

MAIDSTONE PARK

PURCHASE PROPOSAL

REPLY TO OBJECTIONS

The .Upper Hutt Borough Council recently decided to purchase Maidstone Park for the sum of £6000, the owner, Mr. P. Davis, agreeing to take debentures for 30 years at 3J per cent, the outlay by the council being less than the amount it was paying for the

lease,

The council advertised its intention and asked for objections. No objections were received within the stipulated time and -he council applied to the Loans Board for permission for the transaction. The Loans Board last evening advised the council of . three objections it had received—a joint objection from Messrs. A. Spiers and T. Price arid one from Mr. A. J. McCurdy. The former asked for certain information and objected to the purchase on account of the alleged high price.

Mr. McCurdy, in the course of a lengthy letter dealing with various aspects of past transactions regarding the park and quoting the Government valuation, also based his objection* on the alleged high price to be paid. He complained that the intention of the council had not been sufficiently advertised.

In reply to objections regarding the price the Mayor, Mr. P. Robertson, said that when Mr. McCurdy was Mayor he had offered to purchase the park for £7500 and to borrow the money at 5 per cent. Mr. McCurdy had then stated that the price was a fair one and had done his utmost to get the council to accept. This statement by Mr. McCurdy had never been contradicted by him. The terms on which Mr, McCurdy had been willing to purchase were £7500 for a 36£ years' period at 5 per cent. This would have cost the council £16,300 whereas the present terms were £6000 at 3£ per cent, for a 30 years' period, under which the council would save the whole cost of the park (£6000) as against the proposal of Mr. McCurdy. Th^ Mayor then moved the council's approval of a letter to the Loans Board which stated that the council was at a loss to understand the objection of Mr. McCurdy, as, when he was Mayor, he had endeavoured on several occasions to try and purchase the park, as motions moved by him and taken from the minute book of the council showed. The motions were quoted.

The letter also stated: "It is the unanimous opinion of members of the present council that the purchasing price of the park is very much below its actual value. The £1500 reduction in the price made by Mr.- Davis was prompted by his public spirit and is viewed by the council as a donation from him."

The Town Clerk explained that he alone had been responsible for the advertising for objections and that it had been impossible to give further notice before the beginning of the Christmas holidays.

Councillor Rendle said he was in entire sympathy with those who would have liked the price paid to be lower, but the park was worth every psnny of £6000 and if the* council received an offer of £10,000 for it tomorrow he would refuse to entertain ,it. If the offer of £6000 had not been accepted the council would have lost for ever the chance of getting the park. He understood that the Minister of Housing would have been willing to purchase the land, for housing purposes at £6000.

The Mayor's motion in regard to the reply to the Loans Board W£s unanimously approved.