Combined Meeting In Favour Of Amalgamation

Waikato Independent, Volume XLV, Issue 6282, 26 August 1949, Page 4

Combined Meeting In Favour Of Amalgamation

The proposal to amalgamate Leamington with Cambridge was discussed fully at a meeting,of the borough council and town board members on Wednesday ■' evening. It was the general opinion that the amalgamation should take place and a - resolution on ' these lines was passed. Included in' the resolution, whiich will be placed before the Local ■ Government Commission, when it sits _to investigate the proposal, were the following conditions: — ' ',!. • I—The Leamington district to be represented by two additional .. members on the borough council for a period of six years, /, :• ~ 2—The Leamington,Domain-Board to remain a separate'body. 3—The rural land roll to be retained in Leamington. 4—Leamington to retain representation on the Karapiro Domain Board. , ~. The Mayor, Mr K. L. Wilkinson, who presided, welcomed the board members, and hoped the meeting would be the forerunner of joint administration. Before the Commission sat, it was as well to reach common grounds for agreement, said Mr A. Looker, chairman of the town board. He detailed points which had been raised by the town board, and these were agreed to by the meeting and included in the above resolution. Farm Land Rating In connection with farm lands in Leamington, Mr Looker explained the rating concessions given to areas which qualified under the Urban Lands Rating Act. The rateable value cf such land was at present about £6OOO. On domain lands, with a rateable value of £SOOO, concessions were also necessary. Water reticulation in Leamington was very satisfactory said Mr Looker. The borough's 10-inch main traversed the district and was tapped in many places. High pressure water was available for domestic purposes to every house in Leamington. Water for fire fighting was another matter which would have to be considered. Sewerage in Leamington was by septic tanks, added Mr Looker, and with the gravelly sub-soil these were working satisfactorily. To a question by Mr M. Boyce, the borough engineer, Mr N. R. Sanderson explained that a sewerage scheme was demanded by the health ties according to density of population and saturation of soil. With quarter acre sections in Leamington, it would be many years before septic tanks were prohibited. Mr Wilkinson pointed out that cer- ! tain areas in the borough still used septic tanks, and not all of the ratepayers had high pressure'water. When a special rating area for Leamington was suggested, Mr Looker said this was considered to be wrong in principle. It was recognised that a rating area.without business community was at a disadvantage. Such district provided the roads to bring the people into the centre, but would not benefit from the proportionately high business rating. Valuations Compared "Leamington is undervalued compared with Cambridge," said Mr B. Pratt, when it was stated that £35 was the average for a quarter of an acre in Leamington, compared with £6O, which was the lowest valuation in the borough. Valuations were made according.to locality, rind Cambridge and Leamington were not so far out of proportion, said Mr Looker. It was 'shown that the rates in Leamington and Cambridge were now very much the same. When Mr Boyce asked if any increase in the Cambridge rates was anticipated, the Mayor replied that this was a difficult question. There had been a steep increase this year, and even if the loan proposalsi ahead were carried, he did not think the rates would go up more than another penny. Mr N. R. Souter: Although our rates have gone up, they are still lower than other boroughs. ; When a combined public meeting was suggested, Mr Looker said the most suitable time would be after a Tvovisional scheme had been brought down by the Commission. It .was then that objections could bo lodged and a poll demanded. Population Growth "If we had not moved, I am sure the Commission, would have tak"n the matter up .before long," said Mr Looker. He' printed out that Leamington had a population of 700 and was expanding at the rate of W 0 n year. This would pive the district borough status within a few years, and it would bs vhsuvd to have two boroughs with on'y a river between them. If the town bo?rd ?ortinued, ndded Mr Looker, it would be faced with an increase of 3d in the rates. The financial obligation involved buildhrr offices, employing a full-time cleric and a eonsuling engineer. When the resolution was passed, Mr 'Mervyn Wtlls introduced a note of caution. He felt th?t ail possible details and implications shou'd be investigated before reaching a decisions. It was not wise to meve too fast, he added.