BUILDING PERMITS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 147, 24 June 1939, Page 11

BUILDING PERMITS

INCREASE IN HUTT COUNTY

The building figures for the year ended March 31, 1939, show a respectable annual increase in total, number, and value, said the report of the Hutt County Council's building and sanitary inspector, presented at yesterday's meeting of the council. Building permits for 1938-39 numbered 393, valued at £126,883 17s 9d, as against 337. valued at £192,138 17s, for 1937-38. Plumbing permits for i 938-39 were 147, valued at £8675 15s, as against 113 for 1937-38. New buildings erected totalled 193.

! In his last annual report a recommendation had been made that a system of town planning should be invoked in order that the council should have requisite control of "bach" building at the seaside townships, the inspector said. It was pleasing to note that this was bearing. fruit in portions of the county. Some of the buildings were let for high rentals during the holiday season and it was only fair to the public that they should comply with a reasonable standard of hygiene and comfort.

A fair amount of second-hand timber from the city was finding its way into the county for building material, but owing to regular inspections, it was of a much better r quality, :than formerly. Case timber used for building purposes was still rather a problem, but examples of it were not met with as frequently as in past years.

The various public water supplies in the county had had samples taken from them for chemical analysis, and tests had proved them to be of satisfactory quality. The question of providing adequate water supplies to townships could not be over-stressed, particularly in view of the recent long spell of dry weather. It was regrettable that the ratepayers of Plimmerton did not favour a water supply and sewerage scheme, which would have been an undoubted advantage to the locality from every aspect. During May, 31 building permits, to the value of £3877 10s, were issued. Eight new buildings, valued at £2203, were erected. Seven plumbing and drainage permits were issued. Samples of water were taken from the Paekakariki and Paraparaumu supplies and both proved satisfactory.