Sale of The Strawberry Patch shouldn't change land use

Ian and Maree Tucker took over The Strawberry Patch in April 2020. Photo NZME

Fear not, Hawke's Bay - it does not appear as if The Strawberry Patch is about to become a retirement village or supermarket.

The iconic Havelock North berry, icecream and produce business is up for sale, as part of a three-lot, 11-hectare parcel of land.

Owners Neil and Shelagh Manning - who set up The Strawberry Patch 22 years ago, and have leased the business and land on Havelock Road to Ian and Maree Tucker since 2020 - are selling up.

Such a sizeable parcel of land on the outskirts of the village would have obvious appeal to developers. But such is the quality of the soil for land-based primary production that building on it would be "contrary'' to the Hastings District Council's (HDC) strategic goals, a spokesperson said in a statement to Hawke's Bay Today.

"It's quite a significant land holding in a pretty strategic position, obviously, and it is in three titles, and they'll all be sold as one. It's not for sale in separate titles,'' Bayleys rural and lifestyle listing agent Kris August said.

"There's obviously a business operating there at the moment, which is The Strawberry Patch, and that's the key thing happening there at the moment. But it's all about what might happen in the future.''

The tender for the land closes on December 1, and August could not speculate on what it might be worth.

"It's a unique offering, and every person that would come and look at this would see a different value depending on what they thought they could do with it,'' said August.

The HDC said the land was plains production-zoned and did not envisage any rezoning, as part of their Heretaunga Plains Urban Development strategy.

On top of that sits the recently-released National Policy Statement for Highly Productive Land.

The land on which The Strawberry Patch sits is covered by that policy, with the intention that it is protected for use as land-based primary production "both now and for future generations.''

"It is noted that this land has the highest land use classification LUC1,'' the HDC statement read.

"These matters will be central to the consideration of where growth should be directed over the next 30 years, through the Future Development Strategy.''

The council would, however, consider any requests to rezone the land "on their merits".