Newspaper Article 1997 – Havelock North plans to fight parking meters

Havelock North plans to fight parking meters

Havelock North businesses will fight “tooth and nail” to stop parking meters being put in the village, Havelock North Business Association president Michael Poppelwell, above, said today.

He was responding to a report in Saturday’s Herald-Tribune about an independent review on the district’s parking which is nearly complete. The review is due out in November.

Mr Poppelwell said parking meters would “take away the relaxed nature of shopping in Havelock North”.

He said some Hastings retailers seemed to have a sour grapes attitude that “it we have to have it, everybody should”.

“It’s a strange mentality that says if we have a sore toe then you must have one too,” he said. This ignored the fact that Havelock North businesses were finding times just as hard as other retailers round the country.

Mr Poppelwell said the prime reason given for introducing meters was to ensure parking turnover, yet a survey by review consultant Traffic Design Group Ltd had showed that there were no parking problems in Havelock North.