Thursday, February 23, 2012

Church's behaviour labelled 'bizarre'

A West Auckland Catholic Church has been dubbed the "neighbour from hell" after a stoush with a medical centre escalated.

The church has employed a security guard to stop the medical centre's patients and staff using a right of way at the centre of the scrap.

The access connects the Westview Medical Centre in Glen Eden and Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes with Glendale Rd.

The church says it owns the land where the right of way is built and wants a payment of $3000 a year from the medical centre for staff and patients to use it.

GP Eric Horn says the right of way was used for years before the medical centre opened in 2004 and should remain as that.

"We think it's rather bizarre behaviour by the church. They are the neighbours from hell. We don't own the building, we are simply tenants.''
Horn believed the medical centre was granted use of the right of way in 2003 when resource consent to build it was granted.

The site where the centre is built was previously home to the Glen Eden library, which used the right of way.

Parish of Our Lady of Lourdes chairman John Whitcombe wants an official agreement with the medical centre, like it has with the Glen Eden RSA, over use of the right of way.

''All we've asked for from them is for them to negotiate to pay an amount of money.''

Parish priest Bernard Dennehy says the church isn't stopping people from using the medical centre but is redirecting them to another entrance on West Coast Rd.

Auckland Council spokesman Glyn Walters says the medical centre and Glen Eden RSA jointly obtained approval from the legacy Waitakere City Council for a right of way easement over 7 Glendale Rd in 2003.

''Our check of the title shows that although the application was approved, the parties did not complete the registration of the easement on the title. That approval has since lapsed and therefore it appears there is no right of way easements over 7 Glendale Rd.''

The church and medical centre are meeting to try to reach an agreement.