Sale of Takapuna car park will cripple businesses, says local board

The sale of the Anzac St car park in central Takapuna will cut the throats of local shopkeepers and send people to malls, Auckland councillors heard this morning.

The Auckland Council's planning committee is considering the sale of the 250-space car park for a mix of residential, commercial and open space and developing a multi-level car park about 500m away.

In a presentation to the committee, Devonport-Takapuna Local Board chairman Grant Gillon said the board supported the vision of council's Panuku Development Auckland to make the most of Takapuna's unique sea and lakeside location oriented around pedestrians and cyclists.

What this proposal will do is cut the throats of the shopkeepers of Hurstmere Rd and Takapuna

Grant Gillon, Devonport-Takapuna Local Board

But he said the community did not support the sale of the carpark - also the site of Takapuna's Sunday morning market.

"The car park is integral to the businesses of Takapuna and their livelihood. Close it down and shoppers will go to the malls and the chains.

"What this proposal will do is cut the throats of the shopkeepers of Hurstmere Rd and Takapuna," Gillon said.

He criticised the process, saying 1183 submissions opposed the proposal. Of the 838 submissions in favour, 805 were from the lobby group Generation Zero.

"I wonder how many of them live on the North Shore," Gillon said.

The car park is also the site of the Sunday Takapuna market.

Local board member and former councillor George Wood said developing the Gasometer site for an alternative carpark would barely cover the existing car parks there now and the loss of spaces at Anzac Ave.

Coupled with that, about half of the car parks were being removed with the upgrade of Hurstmere Rd, he said.

"It bothers me that Takapuna is in huge competition with Glenfield, but in particular the Albany mega shopping centre that people go there because they can get carparking.

"Carparking is the key to this," Wood said.