Stephen Birkhead, project manager for Foodstuffs and director of Integrated Architecture, has communicated with businesses concerned about the road works on Porter Dr and Havelock Rd and has produced a less obtrusive design. Photo / Warren Buckland
Stephen Birkhead, project manager for Foodstuffs and director of Integrated Architecture, has communicated with businesses concerned about the road works on Porter Dr and Havelock Rd and has produced a less obtrusive design. Photo / Warren Buckland
Havelock North businesses are frustrated with roading communication linked to a new supermarket that they say could affect businesses and safety.
The project manager for the supermarket giant Foodstuffs, which owns the just-built Havelock Road New World, said the road work is necessary to comply with consent requirements and he has produced a less obtrusive design to address concerns.
Foodstuffs contractors are creating a solid median island on Porter Dr to prevent right turn movements to and from Porter Dr at the New World driveway.
According to a council meeting in May, it was important to ensure that the impacts of access and egress to the site could be managed to minimise the impact on the surrounding roads, especially on Havelock Rd and Porter Dr.
Rohana Dawson, director at Ultrasound Hawke’s Bay, said a lack of communication throughout the process from both the council and Foodstuffs had created issues which came to a head recently.
“A week ago the traffic management team stopped us outside and said, ‘Has anyone told you they are closing the road in two days?’,” Dawson said.
She said she and fellow business owners still have concerns about plans to put a median strip on the road, as it was already a dangerously tight heavy truck bypass route.
She said there would be nowhere for a vehicle or truck to go when the occupants of parked cars opened their doors to get out if an island from Havelock Rd back to Donnelly Street was put in place and they had already seen trucks forced to swerve over the centre line as it was.
“The island is a bad idea as the truck or car normally would swerve slightly. You can’t stop a truck at short notice,” she said.
“We offer urgent care and same-day patients and walk-ins. We have elderly and amputees and people on crutches [who] need to be able to park outside safely.”
Balwinder Singh Sandhu, owner of Big Barrel Havelock North, said he was concerned for the safety of his elderly and vulnerable customers on foot.
“We need a better solution and we are happy to work with [Foodstuffs and the council],” Sandhu said.
Rohana Dawson, director at Ultrasound Hawke’s Bay, and Balwinder Singh Sandhu, owner of Big Barrel Havelock North, were concerned about potential safety impacts with the new road design. Photo / Warren Buckland
Stephen Birkhead, director of Integrating Architecture and project manager for Foodstuffs, said that Foodstuffs did not choose to put the solid median island in, but the council believed it was necessary for safety.
He said the recent heavy rain and the necessity for workers to wait for other roading work in the area to be finished had created “massive” hold-ups.
He said the council had agreed to a revised design for the traffic island that would be less obtrusive to construct than an earlier design.
All work will be done at night to minimise disruption.
“We are doing our best to manage it. The council have been very helpful,” Birkhead said.
Havelock North Business Association manager Emma McRobbie confirmed the association had recently been approached by two impacted local businesses regarding the Porter Dr road upgrades and was working with the project management team to ensure concerns were heard.
“We are indeed surprised at the lack of notice given to businesses for this project. Recent council works we’ve been involved with, there has been proactive communication with businesses to advise them of the impact and discuss concerns,” McRobbie said.
“Additionally, we are aware that the narrow stretch of Porter Dr causes traffic specifically large trucks to cross the median line, which is problematic given the low visibility and high traffic volume.”
She said the association had advocated for the council to implement pedestrian safety solutions in the area and had been informed that any work would be considered pending the completion of the New World development to ensure long-term suitability.
A council spokesperson said nobusinesses had directly shared concerns with the council, but there had been some “third-party information” shared.
”Council is working with the project manager to minimise actual impacts on local businesses in the area of works,” the spokesperson said.
James Pocock joined Hawke’s Bay Today in 2021 and writes breaking news and features, with a focus on the environment, local government and post-cyclone issues in the region. He has a keen interest in finding the bigger picture in research and making it more accessible to audiences. He lives in Napier. james.pocock@nzme.co.nz
