Residents of a Papamoa development unsuccessfully asked Tauranga City Council yesterday to close public access to roads through the Coast Papamoa development – only days after they were opened.

Access from Gloucester Rd and Grenada St, to the development, has been blocked for nearly four years – to the annoyance of people outside of it who see it as an alternate access to Papamoa Beach Rd.

Within hours of the roads being opened to traffic on Friday – as a result of a legal challenge – residents were complaining of vandalism, and hooliganism.

They say people driving into the development were remaining to create mischief when they discovered the exit from the development along Coast Boulevard to Papamoa Beach Rd is now blocked off.

People can now enter the development by Grenada St and leave by Gloucester Rd, or vice versa. But they cannot use the direct exit to Papamoa Beach Rd, which has been blocked by the developer.

The Coast Boulevard is only open during daylight hours, and when the Fraser Papamoa sales office is open, because that street is not vested with council. It means the developer is liable for any accidents.

Vesting, as part of the subdivisional development process, is a two-way step. The council gets the road, and the neighbouring lots are legally recorded – and rateable.

The change has been forced by a resident of the unofficial gated community, frustrated at being unable to sell his house, says Mayor Stuart Crosby. The challenge to the council's blocking public access to a legal road puts the council on notice.

Residents, led by Buddy Mikaere and Warren Dwight, want to challenge the challenge, because it was made without the agreement of any other residents.

Police have been called three times during the weekend, a resident has had an outboard motor stolen; and there is graffiti, says Warren.

Council solicitor Kirstie Elder says now the council has been made aware of its legal situation, through the challenge, it faces 'significant legal risk” in not taking that into account.

The residents also want the council to immediately install speed bumps to slow traffic; and to repair the 15 broken street lights, because of growing security issues.

The Gloucester Rd and Grenada St extensions will eventually connect with Sandhurst Drive, and the Tauranga Eastern Link.

Strategy and Policy Committee chairman David Stewart says council is advised the current situation will remain for about two years.