Ratepayers appeal court’s decision to allow a hotel to be built in Camps Bay
Cape Town - The Camps Bay and Clifton Ratepayers Association (CBCRA) is sticking to its guns that a five-star hotel which is expected to be built along Victoria Road will make their beachfront resemble a concrete jungle.
The association has applied for leave to appeal a decision by he Western Cape High Court which allows for the hotel to be built on Erf 3349, which used to be the home of the Place of the Bay Hotel.
A total of 90 residents logged personal objections to the City’s planners and felt that their pleas were being ignored following the decision last month.
The hotel was designed by Scott and Partners and hotel group Novis Hotel.
Eddie Andrews, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, said the application had no irregularities and that they were happy with the court’s decision.
“The application was assessed in terms of the requirements of the Municipal Planning By-Law and relevant City policies and was accordingly recommended for approval,” he said.
CBCRA chairperson Chris Willemse said the community of Camps Bay was overwhelmingly against the development due to it taking away from the area’s natural beauty.
Willemse shared copies of their court application with Weekend Argus.
“Not because it is a hotel but because of the excessive departures and concessions that the developer received from the City,” he said.
“Camps Bay has a strict Special Area rule to prevent the beachfront from becoming like Sea Point, or any other high-rise area - no more than three floors and not higher than 10m.
“The City granted planning permission for five floors and a 15 metre height. The lack of parking was also a major concern.
“This is clearly unacceptable and appears to indicate the extremely close relationship between the City and the development industry, whilst sidelining the ratepayers and residents of Cape Town.”
Willemse said they felt as though their voices were not being heard.
“We are obviously very disappointed with the judgment, which simply accepted the City’s version of events - even to agreeing that ratepayer organisations and affected property owners have no say over what the City decides to allow in their neighbourhoods in which they pay rates and taxes. Not even if the planning permission far exceeds what is allowed by the planning by-laws,” he said.
“This simply cannot be right and the dictatorial approach of the City must be challenged for the sake of every area and property owner in the metropolitan area.
“If this is allowed to stand, then the natural beauty of the Camps Bay beachfront will be lost to a concrete jungle. This beachfront attracts hundreds of thousands of local and foreign visitors, who enjoy the synergy between the natural environment and the relatively low level built environment,” Willemse said.
According to a recent media publication, Developers Scott and Partners said all plans were compliant and approved by the City while Novis said the development would boost the area financially.
genevieve.serra@inl.co.za
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