Western Bay of Plenty residents are giving mixed reviews on its council's psychoactive substances policy.

This follows Western Bay of Plenty councillors revealing their thoughts on the policy at Monday's policy and planning committee meeting.

Katikati resident Anne Bowling wants the sale of legal highs banned.

The council's proposal, limiting legal high retail outlets to be out of a 100-metre radius of sensitive sites and 50-metres of reserved and parks in Western Bay towns, essentially sees one retailer able to operate in Katikati and Te Puke CBDs.

They are also proposing opening hours for the outlets of Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, and 9am-1pm on Saturdays.

Katikati resident Anne Bowling, who collected 1500 signatures for her petition to ban legal high sales in her town's CBD, is 'absolutely delighted” with the policy so far.

'If we have to have them then only two outlets in the Western Bay, and the Katikati outlet being outside of the CBD, is as good as it can get. We now have a psychoactive drug free CBD.

'I think the council has done extremely well and have protected our town to the best of their ability.

'Many elderly people who live close to the CBD will sleep better in their beds as a result of the council's decision.”

But Katikati Community Resource manager Chris Ridder is 'naturally disappointed” with the policy.

'Our thoughts are the same as they were in our submission; we don't want to see it in our town.”

Chris is concerned with how the policy will affect the vulnerable of Katikati.

'There's been enough publicity on the dangers of it, particularly for young people.”

Te Puke resident Margaret Edge also made a submission to rid her town of psychoactive substances and says it isn't 'completely the outcome I was after”.

'If I had it my way, I wouldn't have one in the town at all.”

All three submitters would like to see the hours reduced from 5pm, and are uneasy about the two outlets opening on a Saturday.

'I'm delighted there's no darkness hours included in the selling time. My personal preference is it would have been only between 9am-3pm Monday-Friday, while children were at school,” says Anne.

Margaret agrees.

'We don't want it open Saturday because Te Puke is a family town on a Saturday.”

She says she will take action against this.

'I'm thinking about it at this stage and I think there will be a few others. We will be writing a letter into the council for their meeting on May 29. We want that letter read out at the meeting.”

She says at the moment Special T Discounter on Jellicoe Street [which used to be Puff 2 Go] is open until around 7pm.

'We can see what's going on, who's going in and out, and it's just not on,” says Margaret.

The council was undecided at Monday's meeting on where the new retailer would be located in Te Puke.

Margaret thinks the main highway to where the St John's ambulance used to be is a suitable location.

'That place is empty now. It's out of the town centre, but it's still within the commercial area.”

Councillors will look to adopt the policy at their next meeting policy and planning committee on May 26.