Ground rules
Eden Park. “The area’s always been residential, many of us have been living here 20, 30, sometimes 40 years. “It’s actually the ground that keeps changing, it’s not the surrounding area. When some of us bought [in the area] night games were a prohibited activity in the district plan, they couldn’t happen at all.
“It’s the changing nature of Eden Park and its events that people really can’t predict. People are entitled to normal residential amenity.
“It’s disappointing [ Eden Park] won’t accept the rules.”
Eden Park chief executive Guy Ngata said its intention was to host one day-night cricket test at the ground each year. He said Eden Park had volunteered to have the consent for next year’s test publicly notified.
In a letter sent to neighbours Ngata
We believe . . . that Sunday nights need to be protected. Mark Donnelly (left)
said the noise and light conditions for the Sunday night of the test “will be exactly the same as those already permitted on any other night”.
An Eden Park spokesman said it had received “several supportive messages from neighbours and is aware of a number of submissions to Rule C1.9(2) of the Auckland Unitary Plan states that night-time sporting events at Eden Park must not occur on Sundays. The ground is limited to hosting 25 night events each year. Auckland Council from neighbours in support of the proposal”.
A New Zealand Cricket spokesman said NZC remained keen for the daynight test to go ahead at Eden Park next March.
Not all locals oppose the test. Jose Fowler lives on Bellwood Ave, and said “by and large the park is a very quiet neighbour”.
“It’s better to have Eden Park as a neighbour than a rental that parties all the time.” Fowler didn’t agree that Sunday night was of particular significance for residents.
“To me each night’s the same. A Sunday night is no different to Saturday or Friday, there’s very little noise spillage from the stadium so I doubt very much whether a Sunday night would be any different to a Friday or Saturday.”
Allie Smith of Royal Tce said any event bringing life into the area was a good thing. “It’s exciting to think that by adding Sunday night availability the doors are opened to national and international events which further advertise and develop Eden Park as a key asset to the area.”