A “DEAD-END" STREET

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 56, Issue 4046, 11 May 1938, Page 7

A “DEAD-END" STREET

AFFECTS PROPERTY SUBDIVISION. BOROUGH COUNCIL ATTITUDE. MAYOR SAYS: “YOU CANNOT REFUSE ME!” Happenings of several years ago, in Borough Council affairs, were, referred to at the final meeting of the local Borough Council on Monday evening, when the Mayor (Mr G. Spinley) intimated that he proposed at an early meeting of the new Coun■cil to seek approval of a subdivisional plan affecting his College Street property. He pointed out that an earlier Council had approved a subdivision of a Rewi Street property with a roadway leading to within 2ft of his boundary. He had only become aware of that peculiar thing within the past few months, and as he was contemplating subdividing his property, he wanted the town clerk to search through his records and produce at next meeting all documents, records, etc., having a bearing on the subject. He added that the “blind” road from Rewi Street had been dedicated while he was not a Councillor. Mr Bockett remarked that it seemed to him that Mr Spinley, if he wanted his subdivisional road to connect with the one leading off Rewi Street, would have to pay for the 2ft of property retained by the owner of the Rewi Street property that was subdivided. “NOBODY CAN MAKE ME.” Mr Spinley: I won’t—and nobody can make me! I was never asked to contribute towards the cost of that loadway. The Borough Council at the time should never have permitted such a subdivision. It must have known that some day it would be in the public interest to have a road right through to College Street. It seems to me that the acceptance of dedication was vindictive, because I had opposed the Council’s will in another matter. 1 want all plans and correspondence, resolutions ot the Council, etc., tabled at next meeting, for I am going to ask for a subdivision with a road running from College Street only to within a chain or two or my back boundary. No law can make me provide for a road right to the boundary. The old affair was a shocking thing. The then Council never came near me to ask me to contribute. The first thing I knew about the “barrier” was a few months ago. Now the Council cannot stop me, for it has already denied me a through road. The sooner the actions of the former Council are displayed to public view the better. It was remarked that perhaps the Council at the time did it because Mr Spinley would not contribute towards a roadway that would eventually have become a connecting road. NOT ASKED TO CONTRIBUTE. Mr Spinley said he was never asked to contribute. He added that Mr Maxwell had recently been in a somewhat similar position in respect to his subdivision. If the Council wanted the road right through to the two streets that was its own affair, but it could not refuse approval of a subdiivsional plan just because the through connection was not provided for. Councils must be consistent. It was remarked that the present situation was analagous to Fraser | Street. Mr Spinley said that that was not so. Dr Henderson had left a long narrow strip a couple of feet wide, and actually made the road on his own property. Cr Maxwell said it would be better for the Council to negotiate with Mr Spinley to put the road right through. That would be to the public advantage. “NOT CONSULTED.” Mr Spinley said he could make the Council approve his subdivisional plan. A former Council had deliberately barred the possibility of a through road. That was what he termed “dirty work,” for he had not even been consulted. Cr Jourdain inquired who, if Mr Spinley brought his new road right to his back boundary, would buy the 2tt not yet dedicated. The Council could take the 2ft of land under the Public Works Act. Mr Spinley inquired why the Council should be put to that expense. Messrs Taylor and Blundell would get the benefit of the new road. Mr Bockett said Mr Taylor was to make a metalled road. The Council of that period said if the road was placed where it wanted it, the property owner would lose two sections. Taylor had replied that that was all right as far as he was concerned. The road was plotted on the plan, and it came to within 2ft of the back boundary. Mr Spinley: Yes, they tried to block me. I will not assist them now out of their difficulty. My subdivisional plan is coming before the new Council and must be approved. ”1 WASN’T BLOCKED IN!” Mi Bockett: It seems that you were blocked in. Mr Spinley: I wasn’t! You know what was being done. Now I can tell you that the whole of Taylor's sections have been sold. If the Council wants a road to go right through it will have to buy the 2ft, and also my chain or two of land to meet the end ot the new road I intend to provide for. I don’t want to buy the 2ft. I don’t need it. I could buy it and make a road that would give through access, or I could buy it and make a “blind” road from my present back boundary right to within a chain or two of my College Street frontage, sell the sections fronting that street —and how is the Council getting on then? I say I could do that. But I don’t want to be nasty. I want to know at next meeting who ordered the surveyor to lay out the road from Rewi Street. I want to see the records at next meeting. Cr Maxwell said that the town clerk was only a servant of the Council at the time. TO GET THE LAND CUT UP. Mr. Spinley said that the objective of the then Council was to get the land cut up. But if the Council of to-day had to buy that 2ft of land it would be “daylight robbery.” The

plan was approved, about 13 years ago, and he was never asked to contribute to the cost. He was not aware of the real position until quite recently, and he felt very disgusted when men in public life “came at” such things. Nobody could say that he had ever been asked to contribute. Reference was made to the position of purchasers of Taylor’s sections, but Mr Spinley interrupted to say that he objected to vindictiveness of public men towards other public men. The Borough Council had created a precedent and must therefore accept his subdivisional plan. Mr Bockett interposed with the remark that he had had nothing to do with the old negotiations or decision. Mr Spinley: Yes, but you knew. You knew that I resigned from the Council because of the Council’s decision over the* Wallace subdivision. The happening of 13 years ago was not the only shady thing that was “put over me” since 1 have been in public life. The Council would be getting robbed if it had to buy the 2ft now. The matter was not further discussed.