Takapuna businesses concerned about car park sale, poll shows

Takapuna's main car park at 40 Anzac St is proposed for commercial and residential redevelopment.

Takapuna businesses support commercial development on the main car park in the town centre if it includes a new parking building, a poll shows.

The long-running battle over the future of the Anzac St car park has divided locals and Auckland Council, whose planning committee gave the green light last month to rezone the car park for apartments, commercial buildings and a town square.

The plan, being undertaken by the council's development arm, Panuku Development Auckland, includes a new parking building with 400 to 550 spaces on the edge of the town, which is set to become a key metropolitan centre.

But a poll of 150 business conducted by the Takapuna Coalition - groups opposed to doing away with the car park - found 78 per cent of businesses regarded the car park as important to very important to business and 63 per cent believed moving short-term parking to the new site would not meet the needs of customers.

However, 71 per cent supported some commercial development on the site if 270 short-term parking spaces were provided in a parking building on the site.

The results clearly demonstrate that council and Panuku have clearly got it wrong, said coalition spokesman Richard Burton.

"There is not support for the removal of short-term public car parking from the central car park.

"Council is building a white elephant and the business owners and shoppers who visit Takapuna will suffer from council ineptitude."