Petition against sale of Historic Village land

Proposed site for new community building at the Historic Village. Photo/File

An online petition has been set up to overturn the decision to sell Historic Village land to TECT.

The petition read: "Tauranga City Council has chosen to sell land owned by the ratepayers to TECT for the purpose of building a "community hub". It has been signed by 92 people so far.

"This has been done without widespread community consultation, nor any consideration into the submissions, for or against the building.

"A social media campaign with close to 1000 supporters which strongly opposed the project was also ignored.

Either way, the 10 year Village Plan from June 2015 does not mention any leasing or selling the land for this purpose."

Earlier this month The Bay of Plenty Times reported the Historic Village would be "energised" by the city council's decision to back the construction of a community hub on nearly half an hectare of village land.

The Tauranga Energy Consumer Trust (TECT) secured the land needed to erect a two-storey building to house cash-strapped community organisations in a fit-for-purpose administration facility. It would also partly develop adjoining green space for communal village use.

Opponents of the sale of land to TECT included former city councillor Hylton Rhodes who predicted the end of the village as a community attraction if the hub went ahead.

But the council was persuaded by public feedback on the proposal.

Nearly 78 per cent of submitters backed selling the land, with the rest opposed or indifferent.

To see the petition, click here.