A group of elderly Papamoa residents is mounting a High Court challenge against Tauranga City Council over a developer's plans to evict them from their homes. Forty-eight Papamoa Village Park residents, who believed they had indefinite leases, have been told they must get out by January next yearto make way for a new housing development. Council granted the park's new owners consent for the development just over a year ago, saying there were no grounds to turn down the application, and the residents "weren't considered to be adversely affected". "The fact that the residents leased land was a private matter that the council couldn't take into account," Rachael Davie, council environmental planning manager, told the Bay of Plenty Times last October. But that decision outraged the residents, who live in relocatable homes in the "retirement" section of the park. They have raised $2000 so far from raffles and auctions to hire a lawyer and have now secured a court date. Residents spokesperson Sharon Ireland said they just wanted a chance to have their say and have the council's consent reviewed. "We want to be given the opportunity to make a submission [to council]. It's not just the people in the village who are affected, the landowners around us weren't notified either. "If we can get the whole process slowed down we'll get some breathing space to work on the developers." Most of the affected residents had put their entire savings into their homes, expecting to stay there for the rest of their lives. All 29 units were privately owned and many people had erected sheds, fences and carports and laid paving and concrete. Mrs Ireland said the stress of the situation was taking a toll on residents' health, and more fundraising activities were planned. A judicial review hearing is understood to be set down for early next month. Tauranga City Council would not comment on the legal action. However, they did confirm that proceedings were due to take place.
