Sewage Outfall Camps Bay

AGM 2016 Agenda

•Welcome from the Chair•Apologies•Approval of previous minutes
•Chair's report•Councillor Shane Ramsay introduction & questions•Renaming of CBRRA•Election of Management Committee 2016/17•Marine Outfall From Camps Bay Beach
•Finance•Membership•Close 

CBRRA Public Meeting Minutes May 2016

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B8awRkcBY1IVWVlRbHJIdU1lcUU

Bowling club to appeal rezoning

By

 MATTHEW HIRSCH

 September 15, 2016

The Camps Bay Bowling Club (CBBC) will appeal the decision by the Municipal Planning Tribunal last week to rezone a piece of City-owned land for educational use.

The move to rezone the land makes way for the Camps Bay Preparatory School to expand.

The Camps Bay Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (CBRRA), however, are still hopeful of a shared option between the club and the school.

CBBC have used the land for almost 100 years and have about 50 active members.

Principal of Camps Bay Primary, Stuart Collier, who has been involved in the negotiations, said they were pleased with the decision by the tribunal.

He said the decision to rezone the land to include educational purposes was a significant step in the process.

With regards to the plans to expand the school, Mr Collier said: “The school will wait for the final outcome of the lease process which involves termination of the present lease with the bowling club and signing of the lease by the Western Cape Education Department on behalf of the school.

“The school has plans ready to upgrade the parking area, convert part of the parking area into much needed play space as well as to create a sportsfield. The building will be utilised for classrooms and the hall used for assemblies. A requirement of the rezoning approval is that we will need to landscape the property with indigenous plants, and we have plans for that.”

He added that provision will also be made for proper signage for the safety of the children crossing from the existing school to the new area.

Mr Collier said the school had been negotiating for a shared option but that these negotiations had proven difficult. “As stated by the tribunal it is ultimately up to the owner of the land (the City of Cape Town) to make a decision on a shared option; the tribunal was only making a decision on the rezoning of the land.

“The school has always been interested in a shared option from the outset six years ago, however, negotiations with the bowling club on a shared option have so far been fruitless and unproductive.”

Michael Brand, president of the CBBC, said he was disappointed with the City’s decision and said the whole process was unnecessary. “My feeling is that the City has other plots in Camps Bay that council could have used for the school.”

He said they would be appealing the rezoning decision, saying: “We have our lawyers on it.”

Mr Brand added that they were still open to a shared option with the school and would be discussing the matter at a club meeting next week.

Ian Neilson, City of Cape Town executive deputy mayor, confirmed that the condition in the lease approval is that as soon as the planning issues have been resolved and approved, the City will issue a three-month notice to the club to vacate. “Whether they will still be able to occupy the land after that would be a discussion between the club and the new lessee.The approval process is still appealable and therefore no final approval has been granted yet.”

Johan van Der Merwe, Mayco member for energy, environmental and spatial planning, added that the City was now in the process of informing all parties of the decision and their appeal rights. “Once any appeals have been processed and a final decision reached, the applicant will need to comply with any specific conditions of the rezoning approval before the property can be used for the rezoned purposes.”

Mr Van Der Merwe said the school would be able to build on the land, subject to certain conditions. However, he added: “From the application, it is understood that the applicant intends making use of the existing buildings on the site.”

Chris Willemse, chairperson of the CBRRA, said the tribunal’s decision last week had not come as a surprise. “The City has not been involved in any talks between the parties and, as the land owner, it would have to consider any resolution between the parties. It is assumed that the City would favourably consider any option that is in the best interests of the community, school and club.”

He said the tribunal did not make any decision on the lease as that was beyond the scope of the application, which was merely to determine the acceptability of the rezoning from (Public) Open Space 2 to Community Zone 1, which allows a place of instruction.

Mr Willemse added: “The CBRRA remains steadfast in its commitment to a shared option, which is the only sensible solution to ensure the optimal use of this very important land parcel in the village – and prevent any possible private, commercial development of the land at a later stage.

“There is certainly enough land for both the school and the bowls club to co-exist and retain a 100- year old sports club and also allow for the necessary expansion of the school.”

Jessica Shelver, spokesperson for the MEC for Education Debbie Schäfer, said they were pleased with the tribunal’s decision. “We are pleased with the outcome of the decision but are aware that this decision can still be challenged by the objectors, which will further delay the actual use of the property by Camps Bay Prep School.

“Over the last five years each grade has expanded to include an extra class so we do need extra space to accommodate the learners that are accommodated at the prep school which is currently congested, as well as to accommodate pupil growth.”

Green Point Common recognised as worthy to become provincial heritage site

Nomination is supported in principle by HWC

The GPRRA and heritage officials at the City of Cape Town have made a successful joint nomination for Green Point Common to become a Provincial Heritage Site. In August 2016 Heritage Western Cape (HWC) agreed that the Common is heritage-worthy. It commented that it includes many sites of historic importance, but that the general heritage significance lies primarily in its long history as a public resource for sports and recreation. At  the Inventories, Gradings and Interpretations Committee (IGIC) meeting on 16 February 2017, HWC was instructed to continue with the application indicating that the nomination is fully supported.

What is Green Point Common?

The original erf that was granted to the people of Cape Town, and vested to the City, was Public Open Space that covered the whole area between the buildings on Beach Road and Green Point Main Road and from Three Anchor Bay across to Fort Wynyard and along a long ‘tail’ leading to today’s Gallows Hill Traffic Department precinct. Since the grant in 1923 several changes have taken place, such as deductions, building and road construction and major landscaping. The City leases out portions to various sports clubs.

What is to be protected?

Proposed PHS boundary options were presented to the Committee, which preferred Option C. This includes what we have called the historic core, and excludes the leg to Gallow's Hill.

How would the PHS be managed?

The City is the property owner and HWC is the heritage authority. The City enters into a Heritage Management Agreement with HWC (s.42 of the NHRA) in order to jointly manage the PHS. Most importantly, this Agreement lays out in detail who needs to do what under certain circumstances - it clarifies roles and responsibilities. For instance, where the City must get approval for an action from HWC or where it does not need to. What can happen in a given area, and what cannot.
Civic groups and members of the public have an important role in implementing and monitoring any plans or agreements. There are already several in place, including those negotiated with residents and ratepayers to regulate issues such as security, noise, traffic and litter for events. This new agreement relates specifically to heritage protection and management.

Revised nomination document

PHS boundary option

Please take a look at the documents below:

Mayco report

GPRRA Media release

Heritage site nomination form

https://www.gprra.co.za/14-frontpage/68-green-point-common-is-recognised-as-worthy-to-become-a-provincial-heritage-site-phs.html

Cape Town - The Camps Bay Bowling Club has lost a major battle in its attempts to hold on to the property it has leased from the city for nearly a century.

The Municipal Planning Tribunal has decided in favour of an application to rezone several erven of 6 710m² from open space to community zone, which paves the way for the Camps Bay Preparatory School to use the property in future.

The city had already agreed to a 10-year lease with the Western Cape Department of Education two years ago to address overcrowding and the lack of play area for the children at the school.

The rezoning does not permit additional buildings on the property.


On Wednesday, Camps Bay Bowling Club president Michael Brand said the fight was not yet over and he would meet lawyers to decide on the next step.

The club, which was established in 1919, has about 50 active members and a long lease with the city until 2018. It can still appeal the tribunal’s decision to the mayor.

Tribunal chairman David Daniels said the tribunal concurred with arguments advanced by the applicants that the rezoning would allow for more optimal use of the space by catering to a broader community.

“The land is public land and we have to decide what is the highest and best use of that land,” said Daniels.

“If the parties still want to continue discussions (to share the property) that’s for the parties to decide. The rezoning doesn’t preclude that option.”

Daniels said the tribunal had considered the fact that the school did not have any playing facilities and that it catered for children beyond the Camps Bay community.

In its objections to the city, the bowling club had used this fact to argue the opposite - that because many of the children were not residents of the area, the bowling club represented a broader spectrum of the Camps Bay community.

But Daniels said that although the tribunal was sympathetic to the long history of the club, the needs of the school outweighed this.

“The fact that the school is serving a much larger community interest and beyond Camps Bay is extremely important. It’s a transformative consideration,” he said.

The head of the Camps Bay Preparatory School, Linda Murray, said the school was in desperate need of space to play sport, such as cricket and netball.

The school also needed extra classrooms.

Murray said the school would look to convert the existing buildings for its needs.

The school has 235 pupils from Grade R to Grade 2.

“Our staff don’t even have a staff room. They have to make use of a small aftercare room in the mornings,” Murray said.

She said pupils who attended the school came not only from Camps Bay, but Sea Point, Hout Bay and Green Point. The school had also received an application from Robben Island.

Camps Bay Primary School principal Stuart Collier said he was pleased with the tribunal’s decision. “We haven’t gained access to the property just yet, but it’s a significant step,” he said.

He pointed out that it could still be some time before the school was able to use the space.

“We are just sitting and waiting to see whether the lease will be terminated. Those discussions are between the provincial department and the city.” Collier said the school was still open to discussions with the bowling club on sharing the property, but past attempts had been “fruitless and to no avail”.

Camps Bay Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association chairman Chris Willemse, said the tribunal’s decision was a “cop out” but expected. He said there was still room to negotiate shared use of the space.

lindsay.dentlinger@inl.co.za
WESTERN CAPE / 8 SEPTEMBER 2016, 10:19AM / LINDSAY DENTLINGER

Hope for end of Camps Bay Bowling Club saga

Cape Town - A five-year-long wrangle over the Camps Bay Bowling Club being incorporated into the Camps Bay Preparatory School could finally be resolved this week.

The Municipal Planning Tribunal is set to consider a decision by the city council to rezone several erven totalling 6 710m2 to allow for the school to expand on to the property.

The bowling club, which is double the size of the school, enjoys the use of the council property until 2018.

“The arguments put forward by the objectors are not agreed with as they relate to the limited use of the property for a small sector of the local population that does not have a broader social benefit that could be provided by the use of the property for a place of instruction,” said the council’s report.

But the Camps Bay Ratepayers’ and Residents’Association (CBRRA) is digging in its heels, and plans to make an oral appeal to the tribunal on Tuesday to consider shared use of the property.

CBRRA chairman Chris Willemse said the facility was not exclusively used by members of the bowling club as suggested, and that the hall was frequented daily for a variety of recreational and sports activities.

“The retention of a 100-year-old bowling club should take precedence,” he said.

“Our point of view is the shared option is the correct way to do it. More time and effort need to be put into it.”

At present there are no plans to build new buildings on the site, rather the school would convert the existing buildings into classrooms and use the grounds for sports and play areas.

Originally the Western Cape government had wanted to buy the property to meet the needs of the ever-growing, overcrowded school.

But after negotiations with the city, a 10-year, non-negotiable lease was agreed to in June 2014.

Last year, the Western Cape High Court ruled in favour of the bowling club, after attempts to change the club’s lease conditions to give the school immediate access to the space.

Willemse said the city’s suggestion that the Camps Bay and Glen bowling clubs should merge, would not work given the city’s plans to redevelop Maiden’s Cove.

According to a report that will be considered by the tribunal, there are no other viable sites within the area for the school to expand physically.

The school has been battling to overcome overcrowding for a number of years. It’s had to erect makeshift classrooms and make use of the public park.

While objectors said half the pupils at the school were not residents of the area and that the bowling club’s present usage represented a broader spectrum of the Camps Bay community, the Western Cape education department said children from outside the area could not be denied an opportunity to attend the school.

lindsay.dentlinger@inl.co.za