HOUSING SCHEME

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVI, Issue 308, 27 November 1936, Page 6

HOUSING SCHEME

PALMERSTON NORTH SITES. ACTION BY GOVERNMENT. EXTENSIVE PLANS. Building operations under the Government housing scheme will start early in the New Year, probably towards the end of February, in Palmerston North, which centre, with the four principal cities, has been chosen for the initial activities in this direction. Having already obtained one site at this centre, the Government has another in contemplation. Modern dwellings, available at low rentals, will be ready for occupation in about the middle of next year. USE OF EDUCATION RESERVE. Sixty acres of land, an educational reserve formerly held at West End by the Wellington College Board of Governors, have been acquired for the purpose, and there will be no delay in putting the scheme into effect, stated Mr J. Kodgens, M.P., to the “Standard,” to-day. Frontages on Cook Street and Park Road offer every opportunity for an immediate start. Tenders are being called almost immediately for the roading work. The block will be subdivided according to the latest town-planning principles, and will not have the rectangular severity of older streets. Corners will be rounded and breathing spaces provided, possibily with a central square or reserve, AREA AT TERRACE END.

Ten acres of Crown land adjacent to Limbrick Street, Terrace End, will be subdivided by the Government for building purposes if there is a preference for that locality, but first consideration will be given to the West End area. EXCHANGE WITH COUNCIL. Meanwhile, there lias been a further development indicating that the Government -is contemplating house building on an extensive scale in Palmerston North, and the City Council has signified its willingness to negotiate with the Government for the exchange of allotments owned by the latter at the corner of .Fitzherbert Avenue and Te Awo Awe Street, for a reserve held by the council nearer the Fitzherbert bridge. The former can be acquired by the council for an art gallery and museum site, consideration having been given this matter some time ago, while four acres of land vested in the council, and situated almost directly opposite the main entrance to the Esplanade in Fitzherbert Avenue, would provide the Government with 12 to 15 building sites.

This land extends back from Fitzherbert Avenue to Collingwood Street, and there is a partly formed, but unmetalled, road running through it. The Government land on the corner is traversed by a watercourse. The decision to negotiate with the Government for the exchange of the properties was made at a special meeting of the City Council, called this morning to consider a letter which had been received from the Commissioner of Crown Lands.

Instructions were issued to the engineer (Mr J. R, Hughes) to prepare a plan of areas of land in the city belonging to the council, and which might be suitable for building construction activities by the Government. OVERTURES FOR SITES. “I have to advise that I have been instructed by the Housing Construction Department to secure areas in your city suitable for the erection of Houses,” stated the Commissioner in a letter dated November 24. “While in Palmerston North, last week, 1 investigated certain areas which have been ohered for this purpose, but these 1 found to be unsuitable for various reasons. “I have under my control two education reserves which I am recommending the Housing Department to acquire, the one being Sections 1,2, 3, 15, 16 and 17, with frontages to Fitzherbert Avenue Te Awe Awe, Jickell and Collingwood Streets, and the other Sections 1022, 1024, 1026, 1028, 1030 and 1032, with frontages to Park Road and Cook Street.

“With regard to the Fitzherbert Avenue area, I am recommending the Housing Construction Department, or should it be excluded from the sale, my own department, to set aside a strip fronting Fitzherbert Avenue, of approximately a chain in width, commencing from Te Awe Awe Street and widening to about I 5 chains at the boundary of Section 3, to permit of a continuation of the planting operations carried out by your council along the watercourse. OTHER SUITABLE AREAS. “As regards the Park Road area,” the letter added, “I cm of the opinion that there are more suitable areas nearer the centre of the city, and I would like to be in a position to advise the Housing Construction Department to delay operations in this locality until other areas, not so far offered, but which might be taken under the Public Works Act, can be investigated. “This will take time, and it is necessary, in order to give effort to the desire of the Government to commence immediately fairly extensive building operations in your city, that I should find additional suitable areas to the education reserve in Fitzherbert Avenue. In this matter I desire to have your co-operation, and I should be pleased if your council would consider making available any suitable areas handy to the business area of tlie city that might be used for the erection of houses by the Housing Construction Department. INVESTIGATIONS MADE. “On my recent visit I inspected an area lying between Fitzherbert Avenue and College Street, at present being used by the Agricultural Department, which appeared to .me to be admirably suited for the erection of houses and which, I understand, is held by your council. 1 should be pleased to know particulars of this area, and of any others which your council considers suitable for subdivision and the erection of houses.

“It is understood that your council has no authority to sell, but the areas could be taken under the Public Works Act, as housing construction is now a public work, and the taking and the price to be paid can be arranged, wherever possible, by mutual agreement. As regards the price to be paid for any areas taken, I would suggest that it might be satisfactory to your council and the Housing Construction Department if the price was fixed by a Palmerston North officer of the Government Valuation Department. J “I should be pleased if this matter could receive the earliest possible consideration and assistance of your council.”

After discussing the letter 111 , c °.“ mittee, the council passed a that subject to the Government being prepared to treat with the co,mcll allotments containing one acre, more or less, at the corner of i ltzherbert Avenue and Te Awe Awe Street the council would be prepared to negotiate with them for four acres, more or less, contained in the reserve opposite the Esplanade, the value. of both blocks to be settled by arbitration by an officer of the department and Mr W. RBirnie, the latter representing the City Council. PARK ROAD BLOCK. During his inspection of schools in the Palmerston North district som* months ago, the Minister of Education (Hon. P. Fraser) was shown the V est End area, the possibilities of which for a housing scheme were pointed out to him by Mr Hodgens. The Minister was at once interested, and it is understood that, in consequence, he facilitated the negotiations by the Housing Department for the acquisition of the bl The price to be paid by the Government for the West End land will be, as already stated, a matter of assessment, as the area- has been taken under the Public Works Act. It is at present leased as urban farm land properties, and the tenants will receive compensation, as provided for the Act, The size of the building sections will be according to general practice. ■ , The property is very favourably situated, being bounded north and south by College Street and Park Road respectively, and extending from Cook Street to the West End school. The residential settlement of this large block will be a large factor in the development of West End which, tor some reason, has lagged behind other sections of the city in growth as a residential quarter, though it has quite equal amenities and attractiveness. The new housing area will be very close to the school, the Esplanade, and the Manawatu River. An added feature is that the Park Road frontage is directly opposite the new golf course which has been laid down by the City Council for the Palmerston North Golf Club, and will be available for play from April 1 next. For some time the West End Progressive Association has consistently pressed for the subdivision and settlement of the area, maintaining that the absence of development of this large, open space had a retarding influence on the progress of the suburb. Even so recently as at their last meeting, the association advocated the provision of a children’s playground there and the building of a public hall to serve that district. The Government’s decision w-ill therefore be very welcome. CHEAP WEEKLY RENTALS. “It is the endeavour of the Housing Department to keep rents as low as possible,” stated Mr Hodgens, in informing a “Standard” representative that the houses would be available to tenants for less than £1 weekly. It would be appreciated, he said, that the low rate of interest, 1£ per cent., at which the Government was securing the finance had enabled this very satisfactory position to be attained. Administration costs would be very small, as it was intended to use the existing organisation of the State Advances Corporation, which would receive the rents. There have already been numerous ■applications for houses by prospective tenants, and these have gone through the ordinary channels. Except in special circumstances, the new houses will not be available to those receiving incomes exceeding £312 per annum. The size of the dwelling to be erected will vary from four to six rooms, according to family requirements. Open fireplaces will be optional, and tenants will be given their own choice in the installation of gas or electric ranges. All-electric fittings will be available if preferred. DIVERSITY OF DESIGN. Realising that a drab standardisation of the dwellings would detract from the’ appearance of what should be a model residential quarter, the Government is making arrangements for a wide diversity of exterior designs, though the interior fittings will be as uniform as possible. Houses will be built of wood, konka board and, in certain cases, of reinforced concrete. All will, however, have tiled roofs, instead of corrugated iron, in order to uso materials made in New Zealand. An assurance has been received by the Government from the Dunedin manufacturers of porcelain ware that they can meet all such requirements for the whole of the Dominion.