TOWN-PLANNING.

Evening Star, Issue 14637, 5 August 1911, Page 6

TOWN-PLANNING.

THE GOVERNMENT PROPOSAL. The Town Planning Bill,' of which the Hon. G, Fowlds has charge, provides for the constitution of a town planning board, consisting of the SurveyorGeneral (chairman) and four other members appointed by the Government for a term of five years. Power is given to a borough council to prepare and adopt a town planning scheme providing for all or any of tho fallowing matters :—The laying out and construction of roads and streets and the stopping of any road or street, the laying out and construction of drainage and water supply schemes, the lighting of roads and streets and public buildings, the setting apart and laying out of land for recreation grounds and public buildings (including public baths), and the erection of public buUdings, the reclamation of land, the preservation of objects of historical interest or natural beauty, the preparation and approval of plans and specifications for any of the works comprised in the scheme, the notice to ho given at any stage to the owners of land, the deposit for public inspection of any scheme or proposed scheme and the plans and specifications relating thereto, the acquisition by tho responsible authority or any other authority of land for any of the purposes of tho scheme; the local authority to be liable for the payment of any part of the cost of the carrying out of the scheme, or any matter which is ancillary to any of the purposes of the scheme. Public notice must bo given by tho council of intention to adopt the scheme and of the date of tho meeting at which adoption will be proposed, and any person interested may forward any objection, whicli must be considered and determined by the council before the scheme is adopted. Within 28 days after the adoption of a scheme it must be forwarded to tho board, together with all written objections. It will then be the duty of tho board to consider the scheme and make such inquiry as they think fit. In particular they must give public notice calling upon all persons interested to send to the board any well-grounded objections to the scheme. After considering the scheme and all objections the board must report to tho Governor-in-Council and make such recommendations as they think fit. The Governor-in-Council may either approve or disapprove of the scheme or approve of it with such modifications as he thinks fit, or he may refer the scheme to the board for further inquiry. A notice in the ' Gazette ' of the Governor's approval of any scheme will give the scheme the authority of law ; but it may bo varied by a subsequent scheme or, under special circumstances, revoked. Where a town planning scheme extends beyond the council's district it must be submitted to the local authorities concerned, and a conference held to discuss it. If a resolution disapproving of the scheme is carried it will bo regarded as an objection, and forwarded to the Governor with the scheme. For the enforcing of a scheme that has been approved of power is given to a borough council to remove, pull down, or alter any building or other work in the area which is such as to contravene the scheme, and execute, if it appears that delay in the execution of tho work would prejudice the efficient operation of the scheme. Any expenses so incurred may be recovered from the person in default. Any question that may arise as to whether any building or work contravenes a town planning scheme will be settled by the board. Provision is made for the payment of compensation of any person whose property is injuriously affected by the operation of the scheme. In raising any loan for the purposes of the Bill it will not be necessary to take a poll of the ratepayers.