Residents and staff at Ōamaru retirement complex Observatory Village Lifecare have concerns over an eyesore and potential safety hazard on their street.

Two house buses and a trailer home are parked on Stoke St, with an accumulation of household items and construction materials cluttering up the roadside berm.

One village resident said, aside from how the area looked, there were often a number of small children playing on and near the road, and the matter was, not least, a safety issue.

He was emotional describing a close call with a young child who raced onto the road in front of him on a scooter.

It was only because he was driving extremely slowly, that he managed to stop in time - but the incident gave him a huge fright, he said.

Observatory Village manager Scott Elliffe said the primary concern surrounding the situation was for the “health and safety of residents, staff and visitors”. 

“The Waitaki District Council have promised a traffic management plan will be put in place to ensure safe access around the collection of trailers and buses.”

Overall, the staff at the village were supportive of plans to reach a satisfactory outcome for the family involved, he said.

“We hope for them, and us, that it’s soon.”

The Waitaki App submitted a number of questions to the Waitaki District Council concerning the situation. The council responded that it is working with the owner of the vehicles to find a suitable resolution to the situation.

A trailer home, along with trailer and house buses line the Stoke St entrance to the retirement village.