Wanganui Mayor Michael Laws has described as "bizarre and wrong" the decision by at least three district councillors to accept an invitation to visit the Hells Angel gang headquarters in the city.
It could only provide support for criminals and their wrong-doing, he said today.
The invitation apparently does not include Mr Laws and so far three councillors - Rob Vinsen, Philippa Baker-Hogan and Sue Westwood - are understood to have accepted the invitation.
The meeting would take place toward the end of January, the Wanganui Chronicle reported.
It was thought the purpose of the visit was for councillors to tour the club's premises and judge for themselves whether accusations made against it are true.
High fences around the Hells Angels' property in Kaikokopu Rd have come under scrutiny from the council after Parliament amended the Local Government Act to allow councils and police to seek a removal order for fences or other structures that were intimidating or contributed to illegal activities.
Mr Laws said the council should take some leadership on the matter and apply to Wanganui District Court to have the fortifications removed. Police had already raised the issue of the fences with the council on a number of occasions, he said.
A move at a council meeting last month to have the fences removed failed, but an amendment passed - moved by Ms Westwood and seconded by Mr Vinsen - was "that the council's officers liaise with the Wanganui Police, and pending their advice, investigate whether the property at 48 and 50 Kaikokopu Road … meets all the requirements for removal of the fence, as set out in the amendment to the Local Government Act 2002".
"We are awaiting the advice of the police," Mr Laws said.
"I have little doubt that their written evidence will match their earlier oral advice."
Mr Laws said Hells Angels had been defined as a criminal gang, heavily involved in drug-dealing, violence and other criminal acts, by both the police and Parliament.
"They are even defined as such in the parliamentary legislation that gave the council the right to ban their patches and insignia from public places."