Camps Bay school still wants bowling club land

A street and nearly four years of battle over a piece of land separate a Camps Bay bowling club and prep school.

Some Camps Bay parents and residents want to expand the size of the area's prep school by using the land currently being occupied by the nearby bowling club.

The city's Good Hope Subcouncil had recently recommended that the bowling club's lease be upheld until February 2018 when the Western Cape Education Department would take it over. It was recommended environmental impact and traffic assessments be carried out. But the parents want the land immediately and hope council members making the final decision go against the recommendation.

Sandy van Hoogstraaten, who spearheaded the campaign for the school's expansion, said: 'Council has a choice for how to use this valuable resource. A small group of privileged white men to recreate or a large group of diverse children to be educated.'

Matthew Bater, president of the bowling club, said the majority of members wished to find a compromise by sharing the land with the school. 'We can all move forward. They can come to the table and discuss that and make it happen.' He said the club was used by scores of people for a number of activities aside from bowling including karate, bridge and dancing.

Camps Bay Ratepayers and Residents Association chairman Chris Willemse said it was attempting to help the club and the school come to a solution: a partitioned option. 'The solution we came up with was that they take over the whole parking lot plus a portion of the building. The bowling club has bought into that completely.'

Taki Amira, chairman of the Good Hope Subcouncil, said the recommendation had been made and presented at a meeting last month.

The recommendation was soon expected to go before the mayoral committee and council.

Paddy Attwell, spokesman for the Western Cape Education Department (WCED), said it was continuing to work to ensure additional land was acquired for both the Camps Bay prep and primary schools. 'The schools will need extra land or accommodation if they continue to enrol additional learners. 'The WCED will continue working with the (Department of Transport and Public Works) to address the issue of accommodation. 'The responsibility of the WCED is to monitor the intake of learners and to implement measures to ensure accommodation, using all available resources.'

Cape Times

Posted at 08:45AM Apr 11, 2014 by Editor in Cape Town  |