XN000022-1986-11-26 — Page 23

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1986

THIS HAD BEEN PARTLY BECAUSE OF THE RESOURCES AVAILABLE TO DEAL WITH BOTH FUNCTIONS CONCURRENTLY, BUT IT MIGHT WELL BE THAT A MORE FUNDAMENTAL CHANGE WAS NECESSARY AND THAT SEPARATE LEGISLATION TO DEAL WITH MINOR ALTERATIONS, MAINTENANCE AND OTHER MATTERS RELATED TO USE AND OCCUPATION OF BUILDINGS WAS NECESSARY.

TO PROCESS BUILDING PLANS IN RESPECT OF RELATIVELY MINOR WORKS. HE SAID OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS THE WHOLE TREND OF CHANGE WITHIN THE BUILDINGS ORDINANCE HAD BEEN TOWARDS SIMPLIFICATION OF PROCEDURES, AND A VERY WIDE RANGE OF MINOR WORKS WERE ACTUALLY EXEMPTED FROM BUILDINGS ORDINANCE PROCEDURES.

MR BARNES THEN EXPLAINED THAT MODIFICATION PREMIA REPRESENTED THE ESTIMATED VALUE BETWEEN THE LAND BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONDITIONS HAD BEEN MODIFIED AND CLEARLY THE AFTER VALUE INCLUDED AN ELEMENT OF THE DEVELOPER'S EXPECTED PROFIT.

HE SAID IN PRACTICE OVER THE YEARS THERE HAD BEEN A STEADY FLOW OF DEVELOPERS' APPEALS AGAINST MODIFICATION FEES.

+ SOME APPEALS ARE SUCCESSFUL, SOME NOT, BUT ALL ARE CONSIDERED PROPERLY AND MOST HAVE RESULTED IN MODIFICATIONS AND REDEVELOPMENT PROCEEDING AT A PROFIT TO THE LESSEE,+ HE ADDED.

TURNING TO NEW TOWNS, MR BARNES SAID THESE HAVE, BY AND LARGE, BEEN +EXTRAORDINARILY SUCCESSFUL VENTURE+.

HE SAID EXTERNAL FACTORS SUCH AS CONTINUED STRONG ECONOMIC GROWTH AND FIRST RATE UTILITIES PROVISION HAD CLEARLY HELPED ENORMOUSLY, BUT HE THOUGHT THAT THE SYSTEM OF MULTI-DISCIPLINE TE AMS, BALANCED DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRAMMES OF WORK ADOPTED BY GOVERNMENT HAD ALSO PROVED THEIR WORTH.

THE ADVICE OF THE LOCAL DISTRICT BOARDS, HE ADDED, HAD HELPED GUIDE THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE THE MINOR ADJUSTMENTS IN PROGRAMMING AND PRIORITIES WHICH MADE SO MUCH DIFFERENCE TO EVERYDAY LIFE.

+ I BELIEVE THAT THE PRESENT BALANCE BETWEEN CENTRAL PLANNING AND LOCAL CONSULTATION, PLANNING AND PROGRAMMING IS ABOUT RIGHT AND I DOUBT IF OTHER COORDINATING MACHINERY WOULD DO MUCH BETTER, HE SAID.

ON URBAN RENEWAL MR BARNES SAID COMPENSATION ARRANGEMENTS WOULD BE COVERED IN THE LEGISLATION TO ESTABLISH THE LAND DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, AND THE CORPORATION'S RESPONSIBILITIES FOR REHOUSING WOULD ALSO BE MADE CLEAR.