“I think it is probably fair to say that the car parking access into the sports park on a Saturday morning can be politely referred to as chaotic at the moment,” Hastings District Council deputy chief executive Bruce Allan said, during a recent council meeting.
“Strategic investment into improving that through the flows of traffic and parking arrangements would be very useful, particularly in ensuring the park is a safe place to visit.”
Mitre 10 Sports Park boasts an abundance of state-of-the-art facilities including an athletics stadium, hockey ground, netball centre, indoor sports facility, athlete hostel, new aquatic centre (with an Olympic-sized swimming pool), outdoor canoe polo facility, rugby and football fields, and a soon-to-be-opened cricket and boxing centre.
It has fast become the envy of other regions around the country. It also hosts large community events such as Christmas in the Park.
Mitre 10 Sports Park CEO Ryan Hambleton said on top of the almost 800 sealed car parks, the park can utilise an overflow area but that was on a grass area used for warm-ups and was not ideal. Only about 100 vehicles can fit into that overflow space.
“Parking is at a premium on any given day with the number of sports that are held [at the park],” he said.
“What we are wanting to do is create at least 300 new car parks. Where that is to be placed is not 100 per cent confirmed.”
He said the main choice was just to the north of the canoe polo and new cricket marquee areas.
Hambleton said improving safety around the sports park was a big focus particularly given the amount of children who use the ground.
He said the project would include adding safety measures such chicanes, as well as installing a new exit point for traffic, most likely onto Percival Rd.
Hambleton said they were extremely grateful to the council for the support.
Councillor Simon Nixon did raise concerns about a lack of investment in introducing a bus stop at the park, and said that should be included in the future.
