Golden Bay protesters in June 2018 vowing to fight for the historic grandstand, to stop its demolition.

Protesters will chain themselves to the Golden Bay grandstand and camp on site in order to prevent the building's demolition.

A crowd of nearly 250 angry protesters armed with placards and banners gathered at the Golden Bay grandstand on Tuesday, saying they will do everything in their power to stop the old building from being destroyed.

One man slept in the grandstand last night and others are vowing to occupy or chain themselves to the old building and camp on adjacent A&P land at the recreation park in Takaka to prevent council contractors from tearing the building down.

Chairman of the Golden Bay Grandstand Restoration Society Noel Baigent said it was "finally time" council understood that the community wanted their historic grandstand to stay.

Nina Hindmarsh Plans for the demolition of the historic 109 year old grandstand to make way for a carpark has been met with opposition.

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He said the fight to save their heritage was important – but the grandstand was also "symbolic" of many residents' frustration with council and their feelings of being "unheard, deceived and bullied" over numerous issues in the bay.

"We asked them to leave that grandstand there temporarily just for 12 months ... and after 12 months if it doesn't work, my society was prepared to restore it on a site just over here by towing it 18 metres - bloody ridiculous, but we were prepared to do it."

The grandstand was to be removed as part of the development of the new Rec Park Centre with the space it occupies earmarked for car parks.

Nina Hindmarsh/Stuff Chairman of the Golden Bay Grandstand Restoration Society Noel Baigent told protesters it was time council understood the community wanted their grandstand to stay.

But for more than two years, debate has raged between community groups and the council over whether the more than 100-year-old structure could remain.

Costs to both council and community groups fighting to save it have totalled hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Protester Chris Watson said important facts had been "buried from councillors".

"The grandstand is important to us. We don't want it demolished. We don't even know why they want it gone. It's not to do with money, so what's going on for goodness sake?"

Watson said if it wasn't resolved, protesters had plans in the pipeline they were prepared to use, but hoped it wouldn't come to that.

Tasman Mayor Richard Kempthorne said grandstand supporters had been heard, but did not like the decision council had come to, having heard every side of the debate over an extended period of time.

"We respect their right to publicly express their views. However, it does not change the decision the council has made to remove the grandstand."

NINA HINDMARSH/STUFF Protesters want their more than 100 year-old building to stay, but say the grandstand is symbolic of residents' frustration and anger with council about feeling unheard.

Kempthorne said the council had reconsidered its removal several times over the past year and negotiated with two separate groups who sought its retention to try to find a solution that would meet their desires and also allow the new Rec Park Centre development to be completed.

Trustee of the Golden Bay Grand Stand Community Trust Jill Pearson said they would chain themselves to the building if necessary.

The trust had contacted the Auditor General, the Ombudsman, the Minister for Local Government and parliament.

The community was "shocked and outraged" at the council's decision to demolish. To remove a heritage building to make parking spaces when there were other options was "unbelievable", Pearson said.

There was "no compelling reason to demolish the building", she said.

Nina Hindmarsh Trustee of the Golden Bay Community Grand Stand Trust Jill Pearson has been fighting to save the grandstand for two years.

"Trailing it in situ does not stop them from moving it or demolishing it in the future," Pearson said.

"To sacrifice seating for 300 [people] for parking for 12 [cars] is not reasonable and it's unfair," she said.

Kempthorne said negotiations were done in good faith despite an Environment Court ruling in council's favour that could have seen them remove the grandstand immediately.

"Two separate entities have sought to retain the grandstand but neither offered a feasible, convincing restoration proposal, or the funding to carry it out.

"In the absence of any agreed way forward we had to make a decision. We know it is not popular with those who feel strongly about the grandstand and while we would love to have found a compromise that meets all our needs, in the end that was not possible and we had to move forward."