Tenants confused over Eden Park mixup

Gareth Keir. Photo / Steven McNicholl

Eden Park has backed out of a plan to put World Cup offices in rental houses it owns near the stadium - but some tenants are still being kicked out for repairs and renovation.

The trust owns several houses near Eden Park, including six on a street beside the stadium, and it applied for resource consent last November to turn them into offices.

The application was put on hold after public opposition, but since then fixed-term leases have not been renewed, houses not re-let and an eviction notice served.

The trust said the houses were being prepared for renovations and repairs. There had not been - and would not be - any evictions related to the Rugby World Cup, it said.

But an eviction notice served on one is expected to remain in force to allow for major repairs to its bathroom.

Its occupants remained confused about Eden Park's plans for the flat.

Gareth Keir said they had been expecting the notice since November, when an Auckland Council letter said Eden Park had applied for resource consent to turn the flat into offices.

He was holding out hope that the end to the office plans might mean the residents would not have to move out.

"I would be keen as to stay," he said.

But the flat had received no communication from Eden Park, and the eviction notice from the property manager offered no update on its plans.

Alicia Hancock, a tenant in another property originally marked for offices, was told by management this week - after Herald inquiries - that she would be allowed to stay in the house. It was the first update she had received on the situation.

"We've been asking them directly whether or not we would be kicked out," she said.

Glen Frost, who has lived in the flat for more than eight years, said the trust's chief executive had knocked on their door in 2008 to say they were welcome to stay for the World Cup.

"This is a bit of a kick in the teeth," Mr Frost said.

Eden Park Trust's Tracy Morgan said it had decided to cancel its resource consent application "a couple of months ago", and residents should have been notified.

Barfoot and Thompson managing director Peter Thompson said the property manager had passed on information about Eden Park's resource consent application to tenants as soon as it had been received.