Business couple's cycle trail fears

A proposed Hastings District Council cycle trail is being opposed by a Clive accommodation company whose owners fear the forced opening of their property to public access will ruin their business' reputation.

The proposed cycle trail, along a section of the Clive River, would open up the back of Ray and Janet Brown's Riverbank Cottage accommodation units to public access.

For the nine years they had owned the property, it had been open onto the riverbank. The planned trail would create a public cycle path along the riverbank at the end of the property, where there were picnic tables and a picturesque garden area they said were valued strongly by their customers.

The Browns said customer privacy and safety were a key part of the success of their business, and any incidents due to the proposed public access could affect their reputation on accommodation websites.

"Any bad feedback would have a very damaging effect on our business," Mrs Brown said. "Over the years we have planted the bank with many native plants, giving a safe habitat for wildlife and providing a private area for both ourselves and our guests to sit and relax."

Because the property stretched more than 100m in length from its State Highway 2 gate to the riverbank, Mrs Brown said they would not be able to see anyone who came onto the back of their property at night. They were concerned there could be theft and break-ins.

"It's pitch black down there, we wouldn't know what was going on. If it were to go ahead ... people would think we're a park or something," Mrs Brown said.

The couples' bookabach.co.nz profile had 100 per cent positive feedback from 138 transactions, and many comments were positive about the cottage's privacy.

The couple also said they had sent three separate emails to members of Hastings District Council, to which none had responded.

"There's no democratic process here. They don't consider us individually. The main gripe is there is no communication, it's like: 'this is what we're doing, tough luck'," Mrs Brown said.

Hastings Deputy Mayor Cynthia Bowers said the land was council property but she hoped they could work with the Browns to find a solution.

"At the end of the day, all council is trying to do is use our own property to provide a pathway that is for the greater good of Hastings residents," she said.

"Now sometimes when you do that, we do cause problems for individuals to what they perceive to be their private property.

"I don't believe that it [the cycle path] is at the expense of their business, I would have thought that someone in the tourism business would actually benefit from having a pathway going close to their boundary.

"I understand that concern and this isn't the first time we've come up with this issue with cycleways."

She said the council had agreed to move the path several metres closer to the riverbank, and had suggested they build a fence or gate.

Hastings District Council iWay project leader Owen Mata had been working with the affected residents and was aware of the Browns' concerns. He said the council would build a fence between the landowners' property and the cycle trail.

"We'd pay for it. We're trying to work with the residents to minimise any impact," he said.

"I think it'd be a shame if the Browns dominated this story because there are people who have wanted this for years," he said.

"I think it's one of the major economic growth areas for Hawke's Bay."