Takapuna residents want public space for weekend market

12:02 pm on 20 August 2017

Residents on Auckland's North Shore are pledging stop the sale of a carpark that is home to a popular weekend market.

The council owned carpark sits at the centre of Takapuna's shopping district on Anzac Street and has been home to the Takapuna market for 31 years.

In 2015, the council announced it would sell the lot to private developers to build apartments but that was stalled last year when 8500 people signed a petition against it.

A spokesperson for the Save Takapuna Carpark action group Ruth Jackson said the council and Panuku Development Auckland - a council-controlled organisation that oversees the sale and redevelopment - have since ignored their voices.

Ms Jackson said the area should stay in the public's hands and become a revamped open area with space for the market.

She said the market was the heart of the community and the council would be thwarting their intentions of creating a vibrant hub, if they sold it off.

A new square with an underground carpark would be a great place for people to gather, hold events and keep the market, she said.

"But that's not going to be a remote possibility if the site is sold and developers are going to put buildings on it."

Ms Jackson said the council was being illogical.

There would be a need for public space as the population grows, and more private apartments were built in the area, she said.

"We're going to need every single square inch of public space we can get.

"When people leave their apartments and have no grounds or gardens, there will be public space for them to enjoy," Ms Jackson said.

But Auckland councillor Chris Darby said there would be space for a popular weekend market as part of the proposed redevelopment.

"We're intending to create within that redeveloped carpark area, a grand square connected from the Hurstmere Road by laneways and connecting through to the west side by laneways as well, there'll be a place not just for a six hour market but a lot more."

The public can have their say on the proposed changes until 7 September.