Borough Council

Hutt News, Volume 11, Issue 10, 11 August 1937, Page 5

Borough Council

The monthly meeting of the Lower Hutt Borough Council was held 1 on Monday evening. Present the mayor (Mr. J. W. Andrews), and Crs. C. J. Ashton, B. M. Russell, M. Macaskill, P. Dowsej W- B. Eainey, J. Brasell, W. F. Hall, and J. S. D&lenger. Mr. A. Grierson was re-appodrite!di as the council's representative on the Hutt Valley Memorial Technical College Board of Management. The librarian's report agaiA showed a substantial increase in .all "branches. The figures for the corresponding period, last year are' given in parenthesis:— Number of books taken out, 3521 (3317); new books added 41 (32); new subscribers, 18 (19) total subscribers, 634 (480). Mr. B. G. Ward .wrote acknowledging his appointment as conductor of the Civic Band. The report stated that the band had made one public appearance during July but has three appearances, in view for August. An average of 21 bandsmen attend the practices two nights a week. The individual members are showing great interest in a solo competition which has been inaugurated. The town clerk was appointed the council's delegate to the Centennial Historical Committee. The Works (Committee's recommendation that the council take advantage of the .Government's scheme to relieve unemployment for the next three or four months and to .employ a number of men on the Alicetown and Wakefield Street stormwater drainage scheme forthwith. The Government undertakes to pay a subsidy of £4 per week per man. This will involve the finding of an additional £1471. The Hutt Valley Cricket Association was granted the use of wickets at Trafalgar Park, Bell Park and Nae Nae Reserve at a charge of 11/- per wicket per (Saturday, the club.to do their own preparatory work. On Arbor Day arrangements have been made to continue the tree planting' in streets. This year the streets to.be planted will 'be portion o,f Waterloo Road, Tui Street, Bauchop Road, Potomaru Street, St. Ronans Avenue, and Malone Road. As heretofore, the planting will be done by the scholars of the borough schools and arrartgements have been made for a speaker at-each point where planting will take place. In addition the committee is presenting an oak similar to those planted in the Recreation Ground on Coronation Day, to each school for planting in its own grounds. As a result of the experiments in street lighting carried out between the bridge and Queens Road, it was decided to obtain a tender from the Power Board for the installation of seventeen lights o,f the incandescent type of lamp An application was received from a resident asking that his application to build a block of residential flats in Marina Avenue should come before the whole council as he had been refused permission by the By-laws Committee. The application was refused on the grounds that it was contrary to the regulations laid down by the Town Planning Committee to erect such build ings in other than those districts under the zoning scheme. Cr. Dowse expressed his disapproval of the zoning scheme as it would tend to create "flat" areas which would bring about densely populated spots in the borough. He queried why some residential areas should (be relegated for flats and instanced around Woburn Station, Waterloo Station, Alicetown, Moera, Ludlam Crescent and in the vicinity of High Street. Cr. Dowse did not disagree with town planning which meant, separating industrial .from residential areas, .but f there were to be flats he maintained they should be interspersed throughout the district. Cr. Dowse was of the opinion that if the council wanted to exercise control it should seek (powers to discriminate in the outside architecture of tenement blocks so that the aesthetic tastes of the public could be satisfied. In the particular application for Marina Avenue, the design might be a definite asset to the district as compared with many of the tenement blocks that have 'been passed in specialised areas.

Cr. 'Ashton supported the idea of control of design but the Department's regulations did not permit it. The Mayor did not think it possible to get the various owners to agree to a conformity of. design. Some of the purchasers in Marina Avenue had been given an assurance that flats would not be permitted in that area under the borough's zoning scheme. Cr. Dowse drew attention to the Mayor's absence from the works committee meeting for six months and as he regarded this as one of the most important spending committees ho moved that the vacancy be filled by Cr. Brasell. The motion lapsed for want for a seconder. The Mayor referred to an article which had appeared in "Truth" condemning the safety of the Melling Bridge and said that it evidently arose through his jocular remarks at the last meeting. He presented a detailed report prepared by the engineer, and whilst agreeing that.it was not 100 per cent, there was no cause for danger and there was a factor of safety of 7 to 1.