PLAN APPROVED

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 57, Issue 4028, 11 August 1948, Page 9

PLAN APPROVED

WHITIANGA SCHEME SUBMIT TO% DEPARTMENT REPRESENTATIVE MEETING A town planning scheme for Whitianga, drawn up by the Whitianga Town Planning Committee, was formally approved when put to the vote at a public meeting held recently. Mr J. Bongard, secretary, pointed out that prior to this plan being presented, through the activities of a small private meeting, the Town Planning Department had thrust a plan upon the community which had not been approved and the community had been asked to prepare a plan themselves and submit it to the department for consideration. The plan as prepared by the committee, if accepted by the meeting, would be submitted to the department as requested, he said, and this would ensure that the Government requirements had been complied with. Mr Bongard said he did not think that the plan would be favourably considered by the department as it was prepared on the ribbon development which, they 'had been told, was frowned upon by the department. However, this was the only development that was suited to the area embraced by the gazetted boundary line, which was in itself a ribbon development, and would be the only type of plan considered by the community.

In the event of this plan being refused by the department it was suggested that a petition from the public be forwarded through the necessary channels asking that the whole scheme be abolished, in view of the fact that its origin was unconstitutional as the meeting supporting the introduction of the extra urban planning scheme into Whitianga did not properly constitute - a public meeting. Mr N. A. Wells endorsed the previous speaker’s remarks and claimed that if the plan did not receive a favourable hearing from the department, that the public should rise up in a body and say “ No plan at all for Whitianga.” Mr L. Clark suggested that it would require too much money to oppose a planning scheme for Whitianga. The chairman Mr C. H. M. Simpson, maintained that it would be the county council’s responsibility to have the scheme abolished if the public desired it so. Mrs Crosby was most emphatic that the whole scheme should be thrown l out.

Mr de Launey stated that some sort of plan was necessary as enough mistakes had already been made in Whitianga, illustrating his point by mentioning a building which fringed the river, another which was built on a narrow corner, and that the roads in the existing business area were too narrow. When questioned about a sewerage plan the chairman replied that the committee had been guided by Mr Porter who had advised that sewerage would come later and had made no provision for it in his plan. • Mrs Crosby complained about the hardships she would suffer if this plan was adopted and strongly opposed her property being taken as a civic centre.

Mr A. Simpson pointed out that he was a member of the committee that had proposed these measures and he had agreed to them.

Mr R. A. Simpson considered that the people of Whitianga should be congratulated that Mr Porter’s plan was not accepted. He said that it nearly was accepted at the first public meeting when it was obviously presented to the community for immediate approval. However, a few wise heads noticed the definite disadvantages of Mr Porter’s plan and the Whitianga Town Planning Committee was formed to prepare another plan more suited to the district. The speaker further maintained that the public should unanimously accept the committee’s plan.

Mr Lowe said that if the department was not prepared to adopt the ribbon development thft'town would die. He claimed that Whitianga would never be a big industrial area, and that the only scheme suited to the topography of the town was the ribbon plan. A motion proposed by Mr L. Clark «nd wcwwted by Mr de Launey that the committee’s plan be accepted and that full details be enumerated as to

the advantages of the new plan, was put to the vote and was carried by an almost unanimous vote, Mrs Crosby being the only dissentient.

The chairman and other members of the committee thanked the public for their confidence in accepting the plan. Mr Robinson proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Bongard for his services as secretary, which was carried with acclamation. It was resolved that the secretary write Mr J. H. Lucas for advice on further action to be taken with the plan. Mr A. Simpson said that the department might want to alter the plan altogether and that the public must stand firmly behind the plan they had accepted. It was arranged that the plans should be shown in a public place to be arranged by the secretary.

There were 43 people at the meeting, including the chairman, Mr C. H. M. Simpson, and Messrs H. Robinson, L. Lowe, N. A. Wells, J. Bongard (secretary), J. Crabb and A. Simpson.