BUILDING TRADE HAS HEALTHY TONE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17890, 5 July 1926, Page 14

BUILDING TRADE HAS HEALTHY TONE.

THREE-MONTHLY RETURN > MC ATES REMARKABLE RECOVERY IN CITY. Building in Christchurch has made a remarkable recovery from the slack conditions of last year. This is shown by the return of building permits issued by the City Council for the first three months of the present financial year. During the past three months a total of 342 permits was issued for buildings of an aggregate value of £286,469, representing an increase of 70 permits and £134,888 (or 88 per cent) in value. ,The principal cause of the increase has been the commencement of a number of large contracts in the central business area, and also several important structures in the outer portion of the central ward. If these buildings alone were responsible for the increase, however, there would be less cause for satisfaction as that class of construction might quite easily prove to be in the nature of a flash in the pan. From the point of view of the building trade generally the main source of satisfaction is the fact that the increase is reflected in all the residential districts with the exception of Woolston, which shows a slight decrease. DETAILS OF INCREASE. Compared with the corresponding period of last year the figures for each ward of the city for the three months ended on June -30, are as follow: —

"•Decrease. tNet increase. A comparison of the number of permits issued in each ward in the same period is as follows:

The foregoing details indicate very clearly that the recovery in the building industry is general and is not restricted to any particular class of work. The improvement is, of course, most marked in the central inner area, where there was comparatively little new building work put in hand during the June quarter last year, but a very satisfactory increase is also shown for the residential area. Builders are confident that the present rate of progress will be maintained for some time to come. MORE FEES COLLECTED. From the point of view of the City Council a welcome feature of the improvement in the building industry is the increase in the amount of fees collected. For the past three months these amounted to £602 ss, as compared with £486 15s for the corresponding period last year. The returns for the year ended on March 31 last showed that although the value of buildings for which permits were issued wds £88,649 less than in the previous year, there was an increase of £28,184 in the permits for the erection of dwellings. The decrease in building which took place was in regard to business premises. The total number of permits issued for new buildings was 724, the value of the buildings being £635,937, as compared with 707 permits issued in the previous year for buildings of a value of £739,890. For alterations and additions 571 permits for work valued at £112,514, were issued compared with 492 permits and £97,210 value in the year ended March 31, 1925. A large proportion of the additions represented motor garages for private residences. RETURNS TOR PREVIOUS YEARS. The value of biddings erected in the city each year since 1916 is as follows : Year ended Mar. 31 £ 1916 157,719 1917 171,946 1918 146,930 1919 168,335 1920 460,118 1921 405,818 1922 473,987 1923 649,066 1924 821,605 1925 * 837,100 1926 748,451 1927 (3 months only) 286,469 Since the beginning of the present financial year the tendency has been for the industry to improve its position in two directions, firstly, by making a substantial recovery in regard to commercial building, and secondly, by continuing a natural rate of increase in the erecticn of dwellings. An important result of the improvement in the building trade is that it is now affording. en.pl 03ml ent for a larger number of builders’ labourers than was the case this time last year. If the improvement had not taken place the ranks of the unemployed would have been sveiled fairly considerably. DETAILS FOR JUNE. The following are the details of the permits issued by the City Council for the month of June: — 1)26.

Value. InWard. 1926. 1925. crease. Central— £ £ £ Inner area 85*362 14,277 71,085 Outer area 45,496 12,7S4 32,712 St Albans . . 57,700 52,847 4,853 Sydenham .. 23,S04 18,007 5,797 Unwood .. 42,432 24,245 18,187 Spreydon .... 25,670 21,666 4,004 Woolston . . 6,005 7,755 *1,750 Totals .. 2S6.469 151,581 tl34,8S8

Ward. InOentral— 1926. 1925. crease. Inner area 20 14 6 Outer area .... 38 26 12 St Albans 97 88 9 Sydenham 67 35 32 Linwood 67 57 10 Spreydon 41 37 4 Woolston 3 2 17 *5 Totals 342 274 f6S ♦Decrease. fNet increase.

Sydenham Linwood Spreydcm Woolston Value. si:«! Xo. 17 ill 2S 13 6 Ward. Central— 89,604 1925. :::::::: ikl 135 "T Linwood (Wool ston . . . SB ?s 5