STATE HOUSE BUILDING

Grey River Argus, 25 November 1942, Page 1

STATE HOUSE BUILDING

HUTT EXPERIMENT. WELLINGTON, November 24. The Hutt County Council offered to confer and collaborate with the Lower Hutt City Council and the Government with a view to arriving at the desirable minimum specifications for a dwelling-house. A letter from Lower Hutt City Council, stated that it had received applications from the Housing Department for permission to erect five sub-standard houses as an experiment, these houses in many respects not being in compliance with, the by-laws. The Lower Hutt City Council decided to comply with the Department’s request, but would not agree to the erection of any further similar buildings. If the proposal proved acceptable in the opinion of the ‘‘powers that be,” it was the intention of the Government to erect a considerable number of the sub-standard houses. In view of the fact that, large areas of land in the Lower Hutt City were held by the Housing Department, the Hutt County Council was asked for any assistance it could give in the prevention of the erection 'of. these sub-standard houses by protesting to the Government against the non-observance of the city bylaws.

The Hutt County, said Councillor S. Blackley, insisted on the observance of its.own by-laws, and the erection of sub-standard buildings would cause trouble. The Council should closely study the House Construction Bill, which was in course of preparation, as legislation might be rushed through in this which would be against the Interests. of local bodies. It was right and proper that the Government should endeavour to evolve a minimum standard dwelling, but \t should comply with building by-laws, which had been laid down by engineers, whose standards did not change.