NARROW STREETS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLV, Issue 13762, 29 May 1908, Page 6

NARROW STREETS.

'■■'.'■ .POSITION ATARCHHILL. Thk peculiar position of the Art-Mull Road district in regard to the narrowness of its streets, which was referred to at the recent annual .meeting '■■.■ of ratepayers, was brought before the Hon. George Fowlde, M.P., yesterday, by a deputation from the Road Board, consisting of Messrs. F. Rowe (chairman). Hankin, .Skinner, and Frankton (clerk). Messrs. E. Russell *"< l K. W * Burton (solicitors) were also present./' ■ Mr. Row,.- explained that in the Arch!)ill district there was not one street that was not affected b'v the provisions of the labile Works Act" in regard to the subdivision of property abutting upon them. i! ' ese provisions "applied to all street* under 66ft in width, but their streets were all under this width. *o#e being 60ft, some 40ft. and some onlv 30ft wide. It. would be a serious'matter fori lie propeity-owners if. when erecting new building, or replacing old. structures, thev had to set them back 35ft from the cent,; of the street as required bv the Act. In many caws, aa the sections were small, it would mean that wt hcient kind would not be left for building purposes. A particular case was that of Mr. Faulder, who proposed" to build on * section at the corner of Great North Road and Bond-street. The Board passed a» - solution asking that Bond-street be exempted from the operations ol the Ml. That was agreed to bv the Department. but a tag was added that the building must be set buck so many feet, , Mr. Russell contended that when a local bedv passed such a resolution, no addition .should be made to it by the Department, without first consulting the local body Mr. Fowlds said that Parliament had. bv passing the Act, definitely set its face iii the direction of seeming full-width roads, unless in verv' special circumstances. Mr. Burton said that Mr. Faulder had purchased his allotment in order to build a shop, but he now found that he could not buim without sacrificing a portion of the laud'. ■ ' • . Mr. Fowlds said that the reason why tv-owners were called upon to have their buildings set back was to save local bodies from being compelled to pay compensation for the buildings in the future it" thev wanted a street- widened. He admitted that the local body should be consulted before adding the 'restriction. He suggested that the Board should apply fertile revocation of the Order-in-Conned, and he would make representations to the Minister for Public Works upon the matter.