Cape Town - The City has temporarily withdrawn the advertising of a proposed development situated at 222 and 223 Weir Road in Milnerton which would feature a six-storey building in the middle of a current single residential neighbourhood.
The proposed development was met with opposition by the Milnerton Central Residents Association (MCRA) which vowed to vigorously fight what it said was a shocking development proposal.
The association said the proposed development would be detrimental to Milnerton.
It further called for an immediate moratorium on development approvals in the area, arguing that the Potsdam Wastewater Treatment Works was not coping with current uncontrolled densification.
Initially, Mayco member for spatial planning and environment Marian Nieuwoudt said the application was submitted on April 19 and was to be advertised and the closing date for comment being September 6.
But, due to an administrative error, the application was to be re-advertised on September 10 with the closing date for objections or comments being October 11.
However, Nieuwoudt said the developer had now requested for a postponement of the advertising.
She said the application would now be re-advertised in two newspapers, including the Cape Argus tomorrow and Friday with the closing date for comments and objections being October 25.
The Milnerton Central Residents Association (MCRA) chairperson Bouwer van den Eems said this would create an opportunity for residents to engage with the developer and find a mutually acceptable solution.
Van den Eems said the Weir Street development was a typical result of the indiscriminate application of the densification policy.
“The MCRA is not opposed to the general policy of densification. It is a reasonable way to address the growth of the city cost effectively, without negatively affecting agriculture and tourism. It is a sensible alternative to urban sprawl that is in line with societal trends.
“However, the indiscriminate way that the city attempts to implement this policy will cause regular conflicts between residents and the City. This is exacerbated by flaws in the planning by-laws which makes meaningful public participation difficult. This is further exacerbated by the absence of a mechanism through which residents can address the flaws in the by-laws that affect them,” he said
Van den Eems said if the City wanted to avoid being in constant conflict with its residents, it should consider a more co-operative structure through which residents and the administration can find consensus on a way of densification that was beneficial for both the City council and the residents.