Shoppers kick up a fuss

'A nightmare to get out' - George Phillips is not happy with the Bethlehem Town Centre carpark.

'A terrible layout and very dangerous.” And: 'I will avoid it like the plague.” Plus: 'Stupid” and 'Crazy”.

The shoppers have spoken, loudly, on social media. But George Phillips didn't fluff about. He went and delivered an ultimatum straight to the manager of Bethlehem Town Centre itself. 'If nothing changes very soon, we will be going elsewhere to do our shopping.”

What's got George, and everyone else, in a tizz is the reconfiguration of the carpark at the town centre.

Peggy Thornton is boycotting the place.

'I was going to drop into Countdown for a couple of things as I normally do on my way home from golf the other day. But I couldn't be bothered negotiating the carpark.

'It's complex, confusing and unnecessary. So I went straight to Fraser Cove.”

What's happened is Bethlehem Town Centre has turned the eastern most entry/exit on Bethlehem Rd into just an entry.

So now there are six entrances but just two exits. Easy to get in, at times a nightmare to get out.

'Our customers are telling us the exits are their biggest concern and we are taking that seriously,” says centre manager Andrew Wadsworth. However, the current configuration is part of a resource consent and it's not something they can put a bulldozer through and change immediately.

But as Peggy explains, leaving the town centre from the supermarket now requires a circuitous trip to the western end of the complex and through a roundabout outside Kmart. 'My point is that a simple shop's been made difficult.”

'Some of these changes suggest it was designed by amateurs,” says George in his email of complaint to BTC management. And separately he told The Weekend Sun the roundabout just wasn't coping.

'It can't handle the volume of traffic. And it doesn't matter from which of the four directions you arrive at the roundabout from, there are pedestrian crossings. People and cars everywhere.

'Come Christmas it will be a nightmare.”

Facebook traffic was as heavy as traffic on the roundabout.

'Poorly constructed,” says one shopper. 'I will avoid [Bethlehem Town Centre] like the plague,” says another. And: 'It's a nightmare – good work whoever!!” And: 'I can't stand that place.”

On Neighbourly another shopper was complaining about the tailbacks at the roundabout. 'This is urgent and all it needs is someone with a can of white paint and a brush.

'Nothing too difficult eh centre management?”

Peggy fired off a ‘not happy' letter to the editor. 'When the roads changed I got lost trying to find a way out. Please, please consider opening up the original exit.”

And in boycotting Bethlehem Town Centre, Peggy was sacrificing her recently-discovered source of beloved stewed apples in a pouch at Countdown.

'I am arthritic. And while I can swing a golf club, I can't chop an apple. It was wonderful to have found someone who would chop and stew some for me.”

In his email to the management, George added the decision to build a solid stone wall at a busy intersection outside Eves Real Estate was a dangerous one.

George took The Weekend Sun on a cook's tour. He was right – the wall totally blocked the view of oncoming traffic from the right.

'I mean HULLO! Pretty basic stuff I would have thought.”

But power to the people because Bethlehem Town Centre management was listening and walls will tumble down. 'I'm also disappointed and concerned by the issues created by the new traffic configuration,” says centre manager Andrew Wadsworth in an email to George.

So the solid stone wall at the intersection will be removed and the Kmart signs on top of the wall relocated.

And what's more, a traffic engineer has been looking at what other changes need to be made. 'His report isn't far away so in a few weeks we should know what can and can't be done.”

'I am hopeful changes will be implemented before we hit Christmas,” says Andrew. That's five months away.

'Appreciate the feedback,” Andrew told George. 'And watch this space.”

'We'll see,” says George.

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