TOWN-PLANNING SCHEME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19396, 3 August 1926, Page 6

TOWN-PLANNING SCHEME.

BILL. BEFORE PARLIAMENT. COMMENT ON THE'. 'PROPOSALS. Sotno comment on the Town Planning Bill to come before Parliament was made by Mr. E. 11. Potter, Mayor of Mount Eden, in a report furnished to the Mount Eden Borough Council last evening. He stated that the bill provided for every local body controlling a population of 1000 or upwards to prepare and submit to a Government board before January 1, 1930, a town planning scheme to include the whole of the area in its district. Mr. Potter said the difficulty would bo that neither the board nor the local body could know whether the town of 1000 inhabitants would grow to 2000 or to 10,000 or more, and the value of ■ the property would depend very much upon this. There was also no guarantee when the town planning scheme would be carried out and the additional value placed on the property. It was even possible that the town planning scheme might not increase the value of the property. Valuation also would prove a problem. It was not a simple matter to value existing property, and it would prove very difficult to say what its value jvas to be at some future date, when all-the other factors outside the town planning scheme were unknown. Eeryone would sympathise with the intention to obtain for the local • body a part of the unearned increment,- but unless the bill was amended it was to be feared that much injustice would ensue. The provisions dealing with areas for business purposes and for residences 'would be of great value. "The proposal that the director of Town Planning should, have power to override the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1920, seems to be an excessive power to put in the hands of an individual, as it puts both Parliament and local bodies under the control of "one man," proceeded Mr. Potter. "It takes from local bodies any voice in the control of subdivisions, which must all be placed before the director and which require his consent only. He is specially authorised to permit streets of reduced width, which would seem to require local knowledge that he cannot be expected to possess. A Town Planning Board is to be appointed, but as the director is to have supreme powers, the board can only be advisory, and the appointment of a director is a very serious matter for the Government. for local bodies and for every owner of property." The council decided to "hold a special meeting to consider the bill.