HOUSES CONDEMNED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19416, 26 August 1926, Page 11

HOUSES CONDEMNED.

WORK OF THE CITY COUNCIL

/CLEANING CONGESTED AREAS

'COMPREHENSIVE OPERATIONS.

.'SCOPE FOR TOWN PLANNING,

One of tho reasons advanced by the (Prime Minister for tho introduction of tho Town Planning Bill was that he wished to afford local bodies the power (o remodel areas that gave every promise of developing into plums. Mr. Coates interested himself in the matter in his usual practical way and made an inspection of several of the less delectable spots in the heart (if tho city of Wellington. Having seen the conditions under which many people are compelled to live he expressed himself as desirous of doing something to give these families and particularly the children better and brighter surroundings. The Prime Minister might very easily Jiave come to the same conclusions had he jnade a tour of some of the areas within a stone-throw of a few of the principal thoroughfares of Auckland. There are" certain sections of the city where tho houses are mean and often dilapidated, and approached by narrow, unpaved lanes. When the Town Planning Bill becomes law as it undoubtedly will, these areas should be the first to receive attention, and there is little reason to doubt, that the City Council will welcome the opportunity to improve conditions in such localities.

Forty Houses a Year Condemned. Much has already been done by the council in condemning and removing dwellings quite unfit for barnan habitation, often in the face of strong opposition by the owners. Up to the time of the influenza epidemic of 1918 the council had been responsible for the demolition of over 600 unsavoury houses, and since then n further 400 places have been destroyed as the result of the direct action of the council. This makes over 100 C dwellings so dealt with, and does not include quite es many more which have gone to make room for larger buildings, generally of a commercial type. With the growth and development of tl\e city this war of attrition goes steadily on, but there are still crowded areas which are not yet within the reach of t.be industrial expansion and require some attention. On an average the number of bouses removed as a result of the activities of the council is about 40 a year. Since April 1, the beginning of the financial year, 14 dwellings have been dealt with and there are now 13 more on the,list as condemned. The procedure followed is k> notify owners when the buildings are in such a state that further occupation as dwellings is undesirable. If the building is capable of repair this course isopen to the owners but they usually delay as long as possible until removal by the council seems imminent. However, there are cases where the building is beyond such streatment and if the owner fails £o have it demolished the council may. exercise its powers and charge the cost of removal to the owner. Difficulties in the Way, It would .appear that there are many buildings that would call for this drastic action, anxious the council's officers are to remove them, liegal, and sometimes personal, considerations stay their hands. It is often found that a small cottage is the sole property of an aged couple, and to eject them and destroy the building would inflict severe hardship. There have been cases where the council has advanced small sums to enable the owners to effect repairs, recovering the amount when the estate eventually becomes available. During the period when there was a housing shortage a little more, leniency was shown, but this condition no longer prevails to ths same extent and a strict supervision is exercised.

It is rot necessary to go very far from Queen Street to see areas badly in need of the kind of treatment possible under the Town Planning Bill. The conditions in these areas are due largely to bad planning. As an instance, tho area be. # tween Hobson Street and Nelson Street 'south of Victoria Street is too deep for the average factory or warehouse yet there is not enough room to put another street through. This area formerly had scores of small houses served by lanes ov right-ofAvays, but most of these have now been cleaned out and those that are left have additional air space. There was one cluster of houses in this locality, placed in the form of a square and grouped round a common yard. In the centre of this yard was the community water-tap and sink and one convenience for a dozen houses. , Happily this condition no longer exists. One result of the activities of the council's staff can be seen in the triangle bounded by Victoria, Nelson and Weilesley Streets. Many houses have been removed ~ from this area, and although replanning is badly needed the existing houses have more open spaces around them than formerly.

Narrow, Crowded Streets. Another block badly in need of -rearrangement, particularly the provision of wider streets, is that between Hardinge Street and Victoria Park, on the northern side of Victoria Street. Narrow streets, perhaps not wider than 20ft., are crowded with small dwellings, mostly of an ancient pattern and built on very narrow sections. Narrow streets seem to have been in favour with some of tho early surveyors, as is demonstrated by the series of streets which connect Drake and Sale Streets, in tfye Freeman's Bay district. However, these are only examples, as many others may be seen in this and other localities. A total disregard of town-planning principles is also evident further to the south, notably between Cook and Union Streets* A considerable amount of clcaning-np has been done by the council in the gully lying between Grey and Vincent Streets, and even the most casual observer must note the clean-sweep that has been made, while the many vacant sections on tho right-hand side of Grey Street are further evidences of these activities. A number of other buildings in this locality are due for early attention. Parts of Newton and Parnell have received the same kind of attention, bnt until the council, strengthened by the' powers of the new bill, prepares a comprehensive plan for improvement, of the congested parts of the older city the problem of improving the living conditions of the poorer residents cannot be satisfactorily taken in hand.