Grey River Argus FRIDAY, July 23, 1926. TOWN PLANNING REFORM COMING.

Grey River Argus, 23 July 1926, Page 4

Grey River Argus FRIDAY, July 23, 1926. TOWN PLANNING REFORM COMING.

It would appear that a Beautifying Association has been reestablished in Greymouth at very opportune time, in view of the legislation which the Government proposes in this direction. Yesterday the House of Representatives read a first time the Town Planning Bill. This is a measure of which the general purpose is a scheme of planning, which as expressed in the Bill, is “the development. of the city or Borough to which it relates so as most effectively to promote its healthfulness, amenity, convenience, and advancement.” The proper subject matters of a town-planning scheme are set out in the schedule to the Bill, and the scheme may be likened to the plans and specifications of an undertaking, the undertaking in this case being the development of a city or town according to approved town-plan-ning principles. The central provision of the Bill is contained in Clause 13, which imposes an obligation on the Council of every city and of every borough having a population of one thousand and upwards to prepare a town-plan-ning scheme for its district. A period of three years is allowed within which this work is required to be completed. When a scheme has been provisionally approved by the Town Planning Board, the lesponsiblc local auth|ority is required to publicly nullify the same, and to give opportunities for the making and hearing of objections. Objections are to be finally determined by the Town Planning Board, and when •ill objections have been heard and the scheme has been consequentkily amended, it is to be finally approved by the Town Planning

Board. So soon as a scheme has been finally approved, as aforesaid, it becomes the duty of the Council of the City or the Borough to which the scheme relates to give effect to it. So far as the scheme concerns new works, they must be in conformity therewith. Then, with respect to the areas that have been already built upon, no reconstruction works can be carried out that would tend to delay the ultimate bringing of all works in the/ district into con-' fortuity with the approved scheme. The rigidity of this principle, however, is somewhat abated by allowing to the Town Planning Board a discretionary power to make concessions in special cases. The provisions as to Borough Councils extend to'Town Boards in whose districts there is a population of one thousand and upwards, and to certain named road boards in the Auckland District that are carrying out municipal functions. If the Town Planning Board is, in any case, of opinion that a Borough with a population of less than one thousand should prepare a plan, the compulsory provisions of the act may be extended to that Borough, by Order-in-Council; and without compulsion. Every Borough Council or town board has authority, if it thinks fit, to prepare a scheme for its district. Under clause 13 a scheme having been prepared and approved, a Borough Council is given general authority to enforce it. nothwithstanding that, to give effect to some of the approved matters may have been beyond its powers apart from the general power now proposed to be conferred. In particular, a town planning scheme may provide for streets of less width than what is required by the Municipal Corporations Act. In this connection it is expected that a town-plan-ning scheme will provide for main thoroughfares and subsidiary thoroughfares, and also that certain areas will be wholly residential, and some will be wholly for business purposes. This arrangement will permit of a classification of street-widths having regard to the extent and nature of the traffic that they will be required to carry on. This point bears directly on the question of Blackmore’s Lane, discussed by the Greymouth Borough Council last evening. The Bill also makes provision for what are known as “regional planning schemes for rural areas.” The first purpose of a regional planning scheme is in relation to the town-planning scheme of a neighbouring city or borough. It is impossible, for example, to plan the main thoroughfares of a city or borough without regard to the conditions that obtain beyond the city or borough. Without unduly interfering with the established system of local government,, it is not possible to empower any local authority to exercise its functions outside its own district. To overcome this difficulty, the Bill makes provision whereby County Councils may be required, pursuant to an Order-in-Council, to co-operate with Borough Councils and to produce for the districts under their jurisidiction, or for defined portions of those districts, a modified scheme, known in the Bill as a

‘‘Regional planning scheme.” Apart from this modified requirement, the Bill has no compulsive application to County Councils. The carrying out of the provisions of a Town Planning scheme is declared to be “a public work ■within the meaning of the local Bodies Loans Act,” thus conferring on the local authorities concerned the necessary power, in compliance with theterms of that Act, to obtain the funds required for the purpose. The ultimate cost of giving effect to the provisions of a scheme will be reduced by the provisions for betterment. By virtue of these provisions, land owners are required to pay to the local authority, one half of any increase in the value of their property that, in the opinion of the Valuer-General, is due to the preparation or operation of a town-planning scheme. In carrying out a scheme, a local authority will, in general have re-\ course to its ordinary powers under the Municipal Corporations Act, or the Counties Act, or as the case may be. With the exnot been considered necessary eeptions referred to above, it has specifically to confer exceptional powers to enable the plans to be given effect to.