Twelve carparks on the beach side of Mount Maunganui's blue-ribbon beachfront will be offered to traders under proposed changes to rules governing mobile shops.
The council decided yesterday to increase the number of mobile shops allowed along Marine Parade, fronting Mount Drury, from four to six.
With each trader allowed to take up two carparks, the impact of councils' change of mind from last month's debate on the issue will mean losing four carparks.
The council decided it did not want a repeat of last summer when 14 vendors took advantage of of a loophole and nabbed precious carparks along Marine Parade and Pilot Bay.
The new policy proposes a complete ban on mobile shops from the northern end of Mount Maunganui, except for six traders being allowed to set up between Grace Ave and Pacific Ave from Boxing Day to Waitangi Day. The council also decided to extend the range of goods which the six traders can sell so they were not all confined to being food stalls.
Licences for the Marine Parade spots will be issued on the basis of the highest tender, starting at $1200.
Decisions on the applications aimed to ensure that not all the licence-holders would be selling icecream.
The revised policy goes out for public consultation next week.
