Mayor Neil Holdom wants to sell half of the golf course.

A backlash to a mayoral proposal to sell off half an inner city New Plymouth golf course for housing is brewing, with opponents slamming the idea as nonsense and calling for it to be shelved.

Fitzroy Golf Club leases its seaside land from the New Plymouth District Council and first term mayor Neil Holdom has put forward his sell-off proposal in the council's 10 year plan.

When the lease expires in 2023 he wants half the land sold for housing with the proceeds going toward new or existing "flagship projects".

ANDY JACKSON/STUFF The land is council owned and would be prime real estate.

Opponents to the plan say a 2012 council report shows the club has a right to renew the lease for another 21 years when it expires in 2023, giving it sole use of the land until 2044.

READ MORE:

* New Plymouth council looking at selling half a golf course for housing

* Fitzroy Golf Club housing 'could raise millions'

* Council urged to consider land sale

But in a written statement Holdom said his advice did not indicate the club had an overriding right to renew the lease.

GRANT MATTHEW/Fairfax NZ A mayoral proposal to sell half of the seaside Fitzroy Golf Course in New Plymouth is meeting strong resistance.

"I've been advised there is nothing to suggest the right of renewal is perpetual."

This land development proposal represents only about 1 per cent of our district's green space, he said in a statement.

"And let's remember it's not a public access free space, but rather restricted for the enjoyment of the 250 club members and other paying golfers.

GRANT MATTHEW/STUFF Fitzroy Golf Club leases its seaside land from the New Plymouth District Council.

"I welcome the debate about how we fund our future and get the balance right.

"We are advocating developing part of this publicly owned land to fund new or improved flagship projects for our 80,000 residents, like extending the Coastal Walkway from Bell Block to Waitara, developing our aquatic centre or our TSB Stadium or other projects that the people of Taranaki would like in the future. "

But Taranaki Regional councillor and Fitzroy resident Craig Williamson was adamant the NPDC was wasting its time with the proposal and should take it out of its 10 year plan.

"I've spoken to hundreds of people. I haven't found a single person who thinks it's a good idea or who thinks council should become a property developer or sell the family jewels."

It's up to the mayor to take a step back and admit he got it wrong, he said.

Williamson sent an email to councillors attaching the 2012 report and asking them to "kick this nonsense into touch".

"Do you want to keep pursuing Mayor Holdom's back-of-an-envelope ill-conceived and politically motivated plan?"

"Do you want to be seen as a bullying and heavy handed council that has no respect for property rights and the wishes of its legal and lawful tenants?"

Williamson chaired a meeting of 200 residents and Fitzroy Golf Club members at the club on Sunday night.

Fitzroy resident Karen Venables, who attended the meeting, said previous councils as far back as 1917 had given the land reserve status.

"They thought it was worth keeping. Don't we think it's worth keeping and continuing on for our grandchildren?"

There was a legal process to go through to change the status from reserve land, she said.

The mayor said he wanted to hear from people from outside the area, Venables said.

"But I'd be just as passionate if it was Moturoa. It's setting a precedent selling reserve land. It's opening a door for any reserve land."

Williamson chaired the meeting after former New Plymouth mayor and regional councillor David Lean became unwell.

Lean said he was pretty hot about the situation.

"Why would you want to sell the family silver? What's next? Do you carve off a couple of the back playing fields at Yarrow Stadium and say oh we don't necessarily need those and build some houses on them?

"Or do you flick a bit more off Pukekura Park? Fitzroy Golf Club is an important part of the green belt around New Plymouth and once it's gone, it's gone forever."

The people who bought that land and kept it as a public reserve for more than 100 years did it specifically as an investment in their community at the time and for future generations, Lean said.

"And now this lot want to test water-maybe it's not needed. Get your hands off our green assets. I'm pretty upset over what they are considering doing."