WESTPORT BAKER FINED FOR USING CONCRETE IN WALL

Greymouth Evening Star, 14 November 1947, Page 4

WESTPORT BAKER FINED FOR USING CONCRETE IN WALL

For erecting concrete walls on ;a .shop, apd not adhering to specifications providing for brick panels .and concrete piers, and thus committing a breach of the building, regulations, a Westport baker, Timothy Ryan, was convicted and fined £2 with £2 10s costs by Mr H. P. Lawry S.M. “It is a remarkable thing that the building control department should stand by and let the work proceed,” commented Mr Lawry in announcing his decision. “There are doubts whether one could assume from that that the department was in agreement with the work going on.’ There is also a question of whether the prosecution is warranted, the breach appearing to be merely technical,” he added.

In evidence it was stated that when the matter was observed by the building inspector, he did not use his authority to stop the work, but merely reported it to the building controller in Christchurch. The defendant was not informed of the breach. .It was stated that an extra four tons of cement was used in the construction of the wall.

Defendant who detailed his efforts to obtain a permit, said he carried on with cement when he could not get bricks. A Westport builder estimated that four cwt of cement was saved on the walls erected compared with that used on double brick walls and enough bricks were saved to build 17 double chimneys, while there were other savings in timber and fibrous plaster.