Council puts a stop to boat club sale

Auckland Council has put the kibosh on Takapuna Boating Club’s plan to sell the historic, but dilapidated, Bayswater Boating Club house.

The club had put the heritagelisted building up for sale earlier this year, and confirmed it was at the point of a conditional sale in September, before the council stepped in to shut the sale down.

At the time, club commodore Barry Ward said keeping up the ageing building was placing too much of a strain on the club’s budget.

‘‘We’re not in the restoration business … we’re not property developers, we’re the boat club,’’ Ward said.

The heritage-listed building has stood on the waterfront site of the Bayswater Marina since the 1920s.

The Takapuna Boating Club purchased an old tannery building in Panmure, which members took to pieces, then sailed around the Auckland bays and across the harbour to Bayswater, reconstructing the building in its current location on Sir Peter Blake Parade.

The land had been gifted to the club by an Act of Parliament in 1923.

The legislation stipulates the land must be used ‘‘for the purposes of boating-sheds, public swimming-baths, social hall, or for any similar or incidental purpose’’ while the land and building could not ‘‘be used for private gain’’.

The building acted as a club house from the 1920s until the 1960s, hosting regattas and social functions in Shoal Bay.

It was then decided a new clubhouse would be established in Takapuna, with the Bayswater site continuing to act as a venue to teach sailing and to hold occasional regattas.

It has now fallen out of use. Ward said the boating club had gone to other community groups and water sports clubs to see whether they would take on the building, but ultimately, no one was willing.

Auckland Council confirmed it met with the boating club in October.

‘‘Auckland Council met with representatives from Takapuna Boating Club ... to discuss options for the Bayswater building,’’ council general manager of community facilities Rod Sheridan said.

‘‘The club has agreed to stop the sale process and is working with council to identify appropriate next steps.’’

JODI YEATS The sale of the derelict Bayswater Boating Club house is being held up by Auckland Council.