The Star. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1020. PAPANUI WORKERS' HOMES

Star (Christchurch), Issue 20056, 20 September 1920, Page 6

The Star. MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 1020. PAPANUI WORKERS' HOMES

Thero is no ground whatever for the allegation of a member of the. Waimairi County Council that the Government's housing sciie-mo at Papanui will create a slum area. Certainly the Government has a very bad habit of riding rough-shod over the by-laws of local bodies in (he matter of buildings, and a combined ciiort ought to. bo made to bring tho Government to a, sense of responsibility for such acts as the erection of wooden buildings in tho "brick area” of the cities. Shortcomings in these respects, however, ought not to bo made the occasion for an attack on the lay-out of a garden suburb that will appreciably relievo the acute housing shortage. A meeting of residents and ratepayers in the locality, taking a lead from the Waimairi County Council on Saturday, protested principally against the three-quarter-chain roads in the subdivision, and decided to send a deputation to Wellington on tho subject. It ought not to be lost sight of, however, that under the County Council’s by-laws the layout might have been very much worse than it is. With chain roads it would be permissible to build a. house 33ft away from the centre of tho roadway. At Panama the minimum distance of any house from the centre of, the roadway is 53ft, and the average is more than 60ft. Nobody will pretend that a snug little residential group of bouses, opening on to the North Road, should have streets equal in width to Papanui Read a nd Colombo Street. Tho narrower streets to some extent will add charm to tho settlement, and will be less costly in the matter of upkeep, besides which the sixteen and a. half feet saved in roadway will bo added to the depth of the sections which already have wide frontages. The Local Government Board of Britain lays down tho rule that rural housing schemes should not have more than eight houses to the acre. A lay-out which allows four houses to tho acre, as at Papanui, cannot become a slum area. Ihe plan (which is reproduced on another page) appears to be capable of one improvement, however, and that mould be the provision* of a road or right-of-way through the central group of houses to connect the two side roads, bor the rest, the plan appears to provide ample road space, with wide turning points, while there are open spaces, broad frontages to each house, and adequate sections.