Ocean Beach plans on display next weekend | Hawkes Bay News | Local News in Hawkes Bay

Plans for a trio of settlements at Ocean Beach will be put under the public microscope when the consultants who formulated the proposal return to the beach this month.

Australian town planner Mike Day, of Roberts Day Town Planning and Design, and American consultant Demetri Baches, of DPZ Pacific Design and Development, will return on Saturday, November 12, after a week-long series of public planning workshops in October. The pair will speak about their 70-section plan, and answer questions during an open day being run by the Hastings District Council.

If the plan comes to fruition the main village, linked to two hamlets at the southern end of the beach, will include a new surf club, community hall, church, cemetery, shops and extensive parking.

Mark Clews, strategic development manager for the council, which hosted the planning workshop with development company Hill Country Corporation, said no new material would be presented during the open day.

"It's just a chance to get up closer and ask a few more questions of the folks there," Mr Clews said.

The intensive planning workshops, called a charrette, canvassed the 9km stretch of beach which included privately-owned coastal land as well as council-owned reserve.

Hastings Mayor, Lawrence Yule, said the council was involved in the process because it wanted to protect the area from ad hoc development over the next century.

"The issues at Ocean Beach are complex in terms of philosophy and practicality and our aim is to develop a set of rules that will be enduring and sustainable for the next 50 to 100 years," he said.

Some people had questioned why council was involved in the process with landowners, but Mr Yule said the council had a statutory responsibility to develop planning rules for the whole district and Ocean Beach was already covered by existing rural rules which allowed subdivision on every 20ha.

"The issues for Ocean Beach are complex. The council has begun a planning process to get some resolution and rules for the next 50 to 100 years of which the hearing and decision-making will be done by a panel of independent commissioners."

The open day, being held at the Haupouri Woolshed between 9am and 5pm, will follow a site visit and briefing for councillors on Friday, November 11.

Hastings District Council will continue to consult further with the community and seek submissions as part of its district plan change process in late 2006.