Hastings alleyway closing after anti-social, criminal activity

An alleyway between Hastings' Oliphant Place and Bledisloe St is being closed after complaints of anti-social behaviour. Photo / Linda Hall

By Linda Hall, Local Democracy Reporter

An alleyway being used by criminals to flee and hide from police in Hastings is to be closed permanently in about six weeks.

The decision to close the alleyway, which runs between Oliphant Place and Bledisloe St, was made at a Hastings District Council meeting on Thursday.

The decision was unanimous, with councillor Damon Harvey asking that the council look at speeding up the process, which he said had taken 12 to 18 months.

It comes after complaints of damage to properties and fences, trespassing, theft and burglary from residents next to the alleyway.

Council papers said the “alleyway provided a link for such activity as decamping from the police”.

A bend about halfway down the alleyway meant there was no clear sightline from one end to the other, or around the bend. ”The location where the alleyway widens creates a ‘hide point’.

”Users going from Oliphant Place to Bledisloe St would not be able to see anyone in this ‘hide point’. It is also poorly lit and adjacent boundaries have high solid fencing and plantings with no through visibility between the properties and the alleyway.”

The lane is also covered in graffiti and litter.

However, a nearby resident didn’t agree with the closure. He said the alleyway was safe and he used it.

A property owner adjacent to the alleyway told the council there “are a very low number of pedestrians (20 per day on average) that use the alleyway to go to and from Raureka School.

The resident said pedestrian numbers increased from time to time, although “this is due to the alleyway being used for illegal purposes”.

Council papers say the Oliphant Place to Bledisloe St alleyway is directly opposite the Bledisloe St to Wall Rd alleyway.

Both form a pedestrian link between Wall Rd and Oliphant Rd.

The closure will mean pedestrians will need to use Bledisloe St and Cobham St to get to and from Oliphant Rd, adding 300 metres to the walking distance.

The council said three alleyways had been closed since 2018 due to anti-social or criminal activities in them.

- LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.