TOWN DEVELOPMENT

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 76, Issue 6508, 30 April 1948, Page 4

TOWN DEVELOPMENT

OUTLINE OF PLAN DISCUSSED BY TOWN PLANNING. OFFICER Under the chairmanship of Mr H. P. Ensor, president of the Te Awa-i mutu Chamber of Commerce, a meeting of representatives of Federated Farmers, the A. and P. Association, Chamber of Commerce, and private interests, was held in the Borough Council Chambers on Tuesday evening, to discuss with Mr Redwood, of the Town Planning Department, aspects of development ip Te Awamutu which will follow on the adoption of a town planning scheme, now in its draft form and open to public inspection in the Borough Council Chambers. In welcoming Mr Redwood and those who attended the meeting, the chairman said that the Chamber of Commerce had long been interested in the town planning scheme, which the Borough Council now had in hand, and which eventually would be adopted. The draft plan was available for inspection by all those interested, and the Chamber had encouraged its members to study the plan which would be on display for approximately six weeks. While it was thus available to the public it was the wish of the authorities to hear constructive criticism regarding it. Later the draft plan would be replaced by one of more definite form and objections relating to any of its provisions, if considered justified by the Borough Council, would be incorporated in the ultimate scheme before it was returned to the Town Planning Department for final approval. Orderly Development At the request of the chairman, Mr Redwood touched briefly on the aims and objects of a town planning scheme. Its purpose, he said, was to assure orderly development of a town, with the situation of industrial, commercial, and residential buildings where they could best serve the needs of the community. Factors such as transport requirements, and considerations of noise and inconvenience were taken into account, as was also the correct location of business and residential areas in relation to one another. Other measures included the control of advertisement hoardings, the preservation of trees and monuments, and attention to the appearance of an area as a whole. Discussing the procedure followed in preparing a town plan, Mr Redwood said that the Town PlanningBoard acted as a semi-judicial body in this matter. The preliminary work was done by the local body concerned, and after objections were lodged and alterations made, the scheme was referred to the Town Planning Board for final approval. “The whole scheme is based on developing a town in the way that is best for the community”, commented the speaker. It was the responsibility of the local body—in the case of Te Awamutu, the Borough Council—to preserve the balance between community and private interests. Mr Redwood went on to draw attention to definite aspects of the scheme as shown on the draft plan. The Mangahoe Memorial Park was depicted as fundamental in the town plan. No provision was made for a show ground in the provisional scheme, and some discussion ensued between Mr Redwood and Mr S. Germann (spokesman for the A. and P. Association) on the probable location of this important amenity. It was eventually agreed that A. and P. Association representatives should meet the* town planning officer on Wednesday, to go into the matter more fully. (The meeting was duly held; proceedings being taken in committee). Shifting of Ssleyards With regard to a proposal in the general scheme that the saleyards be shifted to a site less valuable for other purposes, Mr S. Smith, president of Waikato sub-province, Federated Farmers, asked Mr Redwood if provision had been made for the yards elsewhere. The report which accompanied the draft plan stated that the saleyards be eventually shifted to the northern end of the shopping centre. A site was suggested, near the railway, and opposite the Air Force stores siding. The question of access to the yards at the proposed new site was then brought up by Mr Smith. He asked if there was cohesion between the Borough Council and the Waipa County Council, which would enable provision to be made for access to the yards from both the eastern and western sides. It was pointed out by Mr Redwood that considerations of this nature would come under the Counties’ extra-urban proposals, Rail sidings to the yards could be put in without much trouble, commented the stationmaster, Mr J. Jobberns. “To a railwayman it would be little more than a problem of signalling”, he remarked. The stationmaster thought that satisfactory arrangements could be made also in regard to a stock route leading to the proposed yards.. In reply to a question from Mr G. Gifford, it was explained that there was no provision by the Railway Department for an alteration of the railway line other than a straightening of curvature. Further* discussion on the saleyards scheme was deferred, to be reviewed at a meeting between Federated Farmers, Waipa County, and Borough Council representatives, at a later date.

Population a Basic Problem Continuing his outline of the general scheme, Mr Redwood said that the official figure for the population of - Te Awamutu was 3550. Users of the town, however, taking in surrounding ‘districts, numbered about 12,000, and it was on this basis that the plan had been preparedIt was the intention of the authorities to consolidate the town area as much as possible, reducing shop frontages and keeping down distances between the various amenities. Subsidiary shopping areas would become part of the scheme in this respect, and an obvious advantage to shoppers would be the reduction of walking to a minimum. Continuing, Mr Redwood said the classification of businesses, and their inclusion in or exclusion from the various sections, would have to be finalised before the scheme came into.

operation. No scheme immediately dispossesses existing businesses of their right to continue if they happen to be in the wrong area when the plan is put into effect, but a limit is set on their ultimate expansion. “The Borough has wide powers under the scheme?” asked Mr C. S. Alexander. Mr Redwood explained that this was so in the formative stages of the town plan, but all final decisions were made by the Town Planning Board, which operated more or less in a judicial capacity. A further question was: Could a light industry be established in an area set aside for heavy industries? In general this could be done, Radwood, though the position could not be reversed. Situation of Hospital “Has provision been made for a hospital site?” queried Mr Gifford, when attention - was drawn by Mr Redwood to details of the draft plan. It was pointed out that the plan was only diagrammatic at present, but provision had been made in the scheme for a general hospital in a residential area of the town-. “A hospital is incompatible with industry, and is invariably situated in the part of a town reserved for residences”, commented the town planning officer. Questions lapsed at this stage, and the chairman remarked, in seconding a vote of thanks to Mr Redwood, moved by Mr L. G- Armstrong, that “much enlightenment had been gained from attendance at the meeting”. Mr A. G. Warburton made appreciative reference to the support accorded th© meeting by farmers, for whom, he saidf"the town existed. A good purpose would be served if nothing more had been done than to open the door to co-operation with them. Mr H. G. Babbage, who said he did not represent the Borough Council at the meeting*, but was extremely interested in the town planning scheme, remarked that he appreciated hearing the discussion. He realised that many of those present might be under a disadvantage in that much of the detail of the draft plan was not as clear to them as it should be. It was unfortunate that the technical expert who had actually prepared the plan was not present to explain it to them; he had gone overseas under a bursary to further his studies. Mr Redwood was not himself a technician, and being, in addition, unfamiliar with the town and its environment, he found difficulty in telling them exactly what they wanted to know. Mr Babbage said, in conclusion, that he had been interested in the scheme for some time and had discussed it in detail with the officers who had drawn up the plan. Some of his own ideas were! incorporated in it, and if any of those present desired further information regarding the scheme, he would be happy to help in any way he could.