Council wins battle over Kingsland civic plaza

Auckland City Council planners have won their battle with Kingsland business owners to take carparks along the busy shopping strip for a $500,000 civic plaza.

An attempt to put the controversial project on hold for further consultation was lost yesterday when the council's transport committee voted 6-3 to make an immediate start but consult locals on a comprehensive parking plan for the inner-city suburb.

The project involves turning a cul-de-sac used for parking outside the new Kingsland railway station into a pedestrian plaza, installing a pedestrian crossing on New North Rd and moving a bus stop and taxi stands.

Local businessman Lloyd May said the plaza might look nice but it would do nothing for the area and attract the wrong people. Taking carparks for the plaza was "foolish".

Environmental planning manager Penny Pirrit said there had been consultation on the project over a number of years but was unable to specify what, if anything, the council had done in response to a petition last month by 20 business owners about the loss of carparking.

"What the [council] report comes up with is a recommendation that, on balance, the development of the plaza provides better pedestrian safety and access to the [Kingsland] railway station and improves access to passenger transport in the Kingsland area," Penny Pirrit said.

Eden-Albert community board chairwoman Lindsey Rea said riding roughshod over locals was neither a good look for the council nor a good solution.

"There hasn't been adequate consultation. The consultation was done four years ago," she said.

Lindsey Rea hoped the parking plan would be able to rationalise parking in the area and additional enforcement would deal with some of the problems.

Eden-Albert councillor Glenda Fryer, whose motion to put the project on hold for more consultation was lost, said the detailed designs for the project had never gone to the community for proper consultation. The designs went on display on March 8 at a local cafe and council staff were on hand for two hours to answer queries.