Otene Rd after some of the regular street racing and burnouts, which led to the closure of 600 metres at its northern end. Photo / File
Otene Rd after some of the regular street racing and burnouts, which led to the closure of 600 metres at its northern end. Photo / File
Street racing, burnouts and rubbish dumping has led to more than half a kilometre of a rural road near the northern outskirts of Hastings being blocked off.
The Hastings District Council has shut the gates on about 600 metres of Otene Rd due to noise and safety and other issues.
The closure affects the section of Otene Rd to the intersection with Ruahapia Rd, with two sets of gates installed and timber bollards on the sides of the road to block access.
The council, which in December decided on the change, says the closure will not affects residents' access to their properties, and there are no residences accessed from the section of Otene Rd - just orchards and, near the Ellwood Rd end, the Hastings Rugby and Sports clubrooms.
The park, also used in the past for vehicle parking during the Hawke's Bay A and P Show each October, is also accessible from Bennett Rd, which runs from Otene Rd to State Highway 51 at Waipatu.
The council says that while its staff worked with road police to increase the number of patrols and install CCTV cameras, the need for "further measures" was identified by the council and the community.
