The demolition site of two historical buildings in St Johns Road in Sea Point as the community stands against its development and is appealing it. Residents of the Atlantic Seaboard have successfully had their appeal against the development of a block of flats in Sea Point upheld. The appeal concerned properties located at 29 and 31 St Johns Road, where buildings as old as sixty years once stood.
“I wish to advise that the appeal wasupheldas per the attached decision dated November 18 and that the application has beenrefused, and the process has therefore now been concluded,” the final appeal notification letter by Development Management stated, which was received on December 12. as per the attached decision dated November 18 and that the application has been , and the process has therefore now been concluded,” the final appeal notification letter by Development Management stated, which was received on December 12. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, who serves asthe final appeal authorityunder the Municipal Planning By-Law, upheld the residents’ appeal,setting aside the decision previously made by the Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT).
The property is under development by well-known property developers who have yet to respond to queries by the Cape Argus on the decision. Residents had been appealing against the demolition and development process for months, with their concerns previouslyhighlighted by the Cape Argus in July. Luthando Tyhalibongo, the City’s Spokesperson, confirmed: “The Mayor is the final appeal authority in terms of the City’s Municipal Planning By-law.
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Due process was followed in terms of the by-law, and in the end the final determination to uphold the appeal was made. Lindsay Rogers, representing the ratepayers and residents, expressed relief: “We finally received formal notification from the City that our appeal against the proposed redevelopment for a block of flats at 29 & 31 St. has been upheld. “The original approval decision by the Municipal Planning Tribunal has been set aside and the application, as a whole, has been refused.”
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