In a move that has left local business owners in a Tauranga shopping plaza feeling blindsided, Tauranga City Council is proceeding with plans to remove roadside car parks and install a cycle lane in Brookfield.

The owners say it is all without consulting their affected businesses.

With a new school slated to open in the vicinity on Millers Road, tensions have risen as business proprietors in Jude Place express their dismay, fearing the potential fallout of diminished parking availability on their livelihoods.

“The Council haven’t consulted with us, and are meant to,” says one of the Ridge Plaza business owners.

“They put out a message saying the community is happy about it but no one knew about it. I found out six months ago and sent them emails and I don’t think they wanted me to know.

“They asked me how I found out and I told them. There’s a new school going in across the road, and the builders kept parking in our parking places so I went and asked them nicely if they could go in the school parking area and the guy said ‘well you’ll have to get used to it as they’re taking away your parking anyway’.”

Te Kura o Manunui School is relocating from 30 Millers Road to 72 Millers Road this month. The school’s new location is larger and able to accommodate up to 750 students.

Businesses at Ridge Plaza in Jude Place. Photo: John Borren/SunLive.

The business owner says the absence of prior communication from the Council has fuelled frustration among these entrepreneurs, who now grapple with the prospect of losing customers unable to find convenient parking.

“One major concern is the safety of our staff who work late hours and would need to walk long distances to their cars in the dark,” says one business owner.

Staff and clients of Ridge Plaza in Jude Place use Millers Road for parking.  Photo: Supplied.

“We’ve been told they’re putting in a massive walkway and a massive cycle lane [on Millers Road]. I sent letters asking what is going on. And also saying my staff would have to park down side streets and it’s dangerous. They let us know just before Christmas it was happening.

“But they’ve known for months and months and said they’re contacted everyone but haven’t. They sent the plans just before Christmas and we saw that there was no parking included.”

A map showing what works are being carried out.

The business owner had previously sent a request to Council in June 2023 asking about whether yellow lines were going to be put in place along Millers Road, where currently many staff cars are parked.

Tauranga City Council’s Intermediate Traffic & Safety Engineer Obaidullah Noori responded on June 12 and 16.

“I asked around and I can say that we do not have any plan on hand at the moment. As school will built there will be some changes and yellow lines but the details are not conformed yet,” writes Obaidullah on June 12.

“We have no plan for any yellow lines at the moment. Therefore I can not say anything at this stage. But once we have the plan then we can talk about it,” writes Obaidullah, following a further request for information about parking options.

The new Te Kura o Manunui School is across the road from the Ridge Plaza in Millers Road. Photo: Rosalie Liddle Crawford.

On December 7 a letter to Council from a Ridge Plaza business owner asks “Can you please provide me with the plan detailing the changes to the road layout outside the Brookfield school?”

Obaidullah responded on December 8.

“We understand that you may have concerns regarding the works on Miller Road. We want to inform you that we have not shared any plans for these works with the community. However, as soon as we finalise the plans and confirm the timing of the works, we will inform the community through a maildrop. We anticipate being able to send this communication to the directly impacted community in the coming weeks and we will keep you posted,” says Obaidullah in the email reply.

The new Te Kura o Manunui School across the road from the Ridge Plaza in Millers Road. Photo: John Borren.

On December 13, Jude Plaza owners Paul Robinson and Cheryl Renouf received a letter from Tauranga City Council about improving safety outside the Te Kura o Manunui School.

The letter states: “As part of the [school’s] relocation, we will construct a raised pedestrian crossing and a wider shared path on Millers Road at the intersection with Jude Place as well as remove the two existing speed cushions and install raised speed tables. We will also install new yellow “no stopping lines” to prohibit parking within the yellow lines shown in the enclosed image. Parking outside of this area will remain unchanged. The speed limit will be lowered to 30 km/h.”

The council letter stated that work was scheduled to begin around mid-January 2024 and estimated to be complete by February 6, 2024.

Street parking in Jude Place. Photo: Supplied.

Paul says this week he has been told by Tauranga City Council “that the Ministry of Education should have contacted the businesses and the owner of the building affected and completed consultation with the interested and affected parties”.

“The council has also said that the people of the community have been contacted and are all happy about this, but no one I have spoken to in the shops and the surrounding houses have even been told about it which doesn't comply with the council’s obligation to consult before commencing works,” says Paul.

To mitigate the effects of the proposed safety improvements Paul is proposing that the parking across the road in Jude Place be changed to diagonal parking for more client parking. He is also proposing the removal of the yellow lines on the left hand side going up Millers Road, and taking away the yellow lines down the side streets of Jude Place and Thornton Place for the staff and customers of his tenants.

“I am deeply concerned that the council seems to be prioritizing one ratepayer over and above the other ratepayers and businesses in the area,” says Paul.

“My next step to consider is a legal challenge to halt the intended changes so that proper consultation can occur, and an appropriate solution be found to the benefit of all business and parties.”

“I feel like the Council is doing it on purpose and trying to ruin all the Tauranga businesses. I wish they could just be honest with us so we could be more prepared, it’s so stressful,” says a Ridge Plaza business owner.

Ridge Plaza on the corner of Millers Road and Jude Place. Photo: John Borren.

Tauranga City Council transport safety team leader Warren Budd says council informed local residents and businesses of the planned road strengthening, resealing and safety improvement works in mid-December 2023 by way of maildrop and flyers.

“These safety improvements were identified as part of the resource consent application seeking approval to relocate the existing Te Kura o Mananui School in Brookfield, and construct a new larger primary school down the road.”

The improvements include:

-A new raised pedestrian crossing will be installed near the intersection with Jude Place;

-A new 3m wide shared path will be installed on the southern side of Millers Road along the front of the new school;

-Two new raised speed tables suitable for buses and larger vehicles will be installed. The two existing speed cushions at the top and bottom of Millers Road will be removed;

-New yellow “no stopping lines” will be marked on the northern side of Millers Road (only the section in front of the school). With parking now prohibited, the existing shoulder on the northern side of the road will be used as a cycle lane;

-A right-turn bay will be installed at the new school entrance to enable safer vehicle access; and

-Update to the relevant signage to reflect the new changes.

There will also be a dedicated drop-off and pick-up facility has been constructed by the Ministry within the new school grounds.

Warren says the improvements will make it easier “for our tamariki to cross the road, increase safety during school pick-up and drop-off as well as reduce the speed limit for cars during school pick-up and drop-off hours”. 

Asked if a period of time was given for the community to respond with feedback and questions, Warren says: “No period of time was given in the letters and flyers sent from us to the community”.

The entrance from Millers Road into Jude Place and the Ridge Plaza businesses is now closed off in the northbound lane. Motorists now have to drive down to the Solomon Street roundabout and return in the opposite lane in order to access the businesses affected while road works continue. Photo: John Borren.

Asked how many people responded during a consultation period, Warren says: “As far as we are aware, there was no consultation period”.

In response to Jude Place businesses’ concerns of revenue loss due to losing nearby parking for staff and customers, Warren says the private landlord would be responsible for ensuring parking is adequate for their tenants.

“However, we support local businesses, and will endeavour to work with the local businesses on a solution to their parking concerns.”

The work is weather dependent, but is expected to be completed by Tuesday, February 6.

In response to Tauranga City Council transport safety team leader Warren Budd's comments to SunLive, business owners from Ridge Plaza say they are hopeful there will now be consultation with Council around the issues they are facing.

"We are really hoping that the council does work with us and compromises to come up with a solution or it will result in loss of revenue and ultimately redundancies," says a Ridge Plaza business owner.

"We look forward to the council working with us to endeavour to find a solution to the parking issue," says Jude Plaza owner Paul Robinson.