The Flaxmere village shopping centre.
A new road through the middle of Flaxmere is being planned to give residents direct access to an upgraded shopping village and its soon-to-be-finished new supermarket.
Proposed upgrades in the Hastings suburb include extending Henderson Rd into a new north-south extension, making them the main routes into the heart of the village.
Flaxmere Village’s new owners TW Group are planning a total makeover of the current heart of the suburb, though they haven’t put a timeline on when it will happen.
Shop owners say they’re excited about the vision, which has yet to be drawn up into a concept.
Flaxmere’s centre has an unusual ring road layout, with Henderson Rd ending at the Swansea Rd intersection, which then horseshoes around the central village to Caernarvon Drive.
Flaxmere Pharmacy co-owner Tim Klingender said there was a complete lack of planning by Hastings District Council when the suburb was originally developed.
“Now finally, with TW Property buying the village and the land it was building a Woolworths supermarket on, everything would flow together,” Klingender said.
“I’m excited to see the new housing and supermarket going up. It’s good for Flaxmere.”
The council said Flaxmere had been a community filled with potential for decades, but it needed investment.
“Planned in the early 1960s, the vision of the council of the day was for a modern, elite suburb, more desirable than Havelock North, to be built to accommodate Hastings’ growing population,” the council said.
Plans included affordable housing and amenities, including shops, parks, schools and churches.
Over the years, Flaxmere was subdivided into quarter-acre sections.
“In the 1980s, planning rules allowed sections to be intensively subdivided and building rules permitted poor-quality, substandard housing, resulting in a high-deprivation suburb that could not attract private investment,” the council said.
“Now, after years of discussion and planning, the wheels of change are finally in motion, with passionate residents and civic leaders dedicated to making Flaxmere a place that reaches its full potential, a better place to live.”
Business owners in the village have met with representatives from TW Group about the extensive plans.
They say the majority of the existing buildings are set to be replaced.
TW Property chief executive Terry May said they intended to redevelop the village when they were able to.
The manager of St Vincent De Paul Op Shop, George David, is looking forward to it.
“I don’t really know much, but it seems these existing buildings will be demolished.
“They have become decrepit over time, and I think it’s a positive move for Flaxmere,” David said.
“The village is a nice, friendly place and it sounds as if the work will open it up and make it more accessible.”
Hollies Bakery owner Ian Holloway says he doesn’t really have an option.
“I have been here for 33 years and can’t imagine what the result will look like.
“I don’t have an option. I have built this business up over the years, so yes, there is a bit of anxiety about changes, but at the same time I think it’s good for Flaxmere.”
Long-time resident Harry Cooper said it would be great to see the village redeveloped.
Cooper moved to Flaxmere when the park was an orchard and there were about “six houses on Flaxmere Ave”.
“I’ve seen it grow. I used to work at Whakatu and the Tomoana works. A few of us workers would meet in the village and take turns driving everyone to work. It’s great that it’s going to be updated.”
The Woolworths supermarket in Flaxmere is on track to be finished by mid-2026.
The Flaxmere Supermarket – an independent supermarket that sprung up after New World left the village – plans to continue to operate.
– An attractive and thriving village centre atmosphere with an improved character, sense of place and a variety of choices and opportunities for the local community.
– Well-designed new developments with a range of stimulating activities that enhance and improve existing features of the area and its surroundings.
– A functional village centre with a choice of ways to get around.
– The village is reinforced as the focus of commercial, retail, educational, community and entertainment activities for the residents as well as visitors.
– Strengthened retail with improved servicing infrastructure and diverse compatible activities.
LDR is local body journalism co-funded by RNZ and NZ On Air.