WORKERS’ DWELLINGS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20052, 15 September 1920, Page 2

WORKERS’ DWELLINGS.

THE PAPANUI SETTLEMENT. [From Opr ■ Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September 14., Tho attention of tile Minister of Labour_ was called by Mr .Witty to the subdivision of ah area at Papanui for workers’ dwellings. Provision"' was being made for streets 44ft 6iu wide, instead Of 6oft. It was not a fair thing, he added, for ■ the Government to set a bad example id local people* in. best to Create a slum. . r Ytlliam Herries declared that/ the Labour Department was proceeding on town-planning lines, and ittsus hoped to make far better accommodation for the houses by having the roads slightly under the normal width. W' Wittjr; Buy more land. Sir William Herries: “If you did you would have to put off contracts which .nave been let. If you can manage it •uv an Labour Department T will be quite willing to allow .Voii to do it.l ■ The Miiiister suggested that no good purpose would be served by revising the plan, which he invited members to inspect. , , 1 The Labour Department’® plan for subdivision of its Papanui area shows that seventy-six houses are being built on a total area, including road ahd other reservations, or twenty-end and a quarter acres. A'road leads off North Road, which is one chain wide, and is proposed to be fronted with shops. This enters b reserve three chains by five chains, on which the principal feature •will bo a public hall. The houses , are grouped in a central rectangle, and there will also be a line of houses on each boundary fronting the central rectangle, each section • having 66ft frontage. Some of the houses are semidetached. Hie road reservation is a complete chain. Provision •is being made for narrow macadamised cartwavs, which will be lined with trees. The houses will be set well back from the road. Apparently the Housing Department is following the advice of tojvnplanning advocates, who prefer to see narrow roads so long as the width is adequate to ensure ample air space. It. is contended that not only is expense sated by the lessened area of macadam, but the dust, nuisance is diminished and grass and trees on the roadside .will prevent a good deal of dust from blowing into the dwellings.