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54
This does not mean the immediate cutting-up of the area
in question and making roads, but the planning of the area in
such a manner that when owners of contiguous land desire to
develop, they shall do so as part of one harmonious whole,
and not in the haphazard way which at present exists to the
detriment of each other and the District as a whole.
Experience has taught us that it is not a costly thing to
plan, but exceedingly costly to rectify those mistakes brought
about by the absence of any planning in the past.
The cost to the country of pulling down buildings of
more or less modern construction to widen thoroughfares has
been enormous, and in Barnet we have examples of errors in
this direction, portions of the roads having been scheduled by
the Road Board for widening in the future.
Again, there are obvious advantages to be obtained from
the Town Planning Act.
Under present conditions, when a portion of the district
is developed, in order to sewer it the Council have to pay for
easements over different properties. This sewer is laid
without regard to the question of whether it can be used for
any future development, and, the Council having no idea how
owners intend to develop, damage is often done to an estate.
If the sewer were laid along the line of future roads, not
only would no damage be done, but the estate would be in a
ripe state for development, and it is conceivable that betterment
charges might be made in certain cases for these
advantages.
The power, without having to pay compensation, of
limiting the number of houses to the acre, is of immense
value in a district like Barnet.
The question of Town Planning is exercising the minds
of over 100 Authorities at the present time, and numerous
plans are in various stages of preparation.
Failure to plan a district will result in the future in it
becoming a dumping ground for undesirable buildings and
development.
As a member of the Advisory Committee of the National
Housing and Town Planning Council, I have been enabled to
follow the schemes put forward by various Authorities, and
have gathered much valuable information upon the subject,
which I trust will be of use to your Council.