Despite a flurry of objections from residents and the East London Golf Club, BCM has approved the rezoning of a former bird park on John Bailie Road from private open space to residential land, upon which a 34-unit apartment block is set to be built.
The land was sold in 1998 to Owen Sanders by the then East London Transitional Local Council for less than R55000 on condition it be developed as a botanical garden or bird park with public access.
Further conditions stipulated that Sanders would not be permitted to sell the erf without first offering it back to the municipality at the original price, calculated proportionally per square metre.
Sanders built a bird park on the 6568²m land, but about three years later sold the birds.
He declined to speak to the Daily Dispatch this week.
Six years ago the late developer Grant Furstenburg attempted to buy the land on which he proposed to build a high-rise 26-storey luxury hotel and two 21-storey apartment buildings, but this was rejected by council following strenuous objections from residents.
However, BCM has now approved the rezoning of the land from open space zone 2 to residential zone 5 (apartments).
Residents who objected to the rezoning are incensed, saying it will affect their views, increase traffic congestion on the narrow road, put pressure on existing municipal infrastructure and devalue properties in nearby upmarket suburbs.
However, BCM contacted objectors via registered letters dated August 19 informing them the council had agreed to the rezoning of the erf from open space to residential Zone 5 (apartments).
Objectors have appealed the decision.
East London Golf Club general manager Brenden Fourie said the golf club, famed for its tranquillity and sea views, had objected and also appealed BCM’s decision.
“We appealed the decision on the grounds that we don’t believe a block of flats fits into the environment or that it fits the aesthetics of the East London Golf Course, which is part of the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve.
Dr Paul Steyn, whose Bunkers Hill home is situated just 200m from the planned development, sent a list of 18 objections to BCM’s directorate of development planning and management, drafted by his lawyer Richard Jardine.
These include that his property would lose its views and value, having bought it knowing that the land in question was zoned as open space.
The list of objections also points out that when international cricket matches are filmed at the Buffalo Park Cricket grounds, television cameras pan over the golf course, dunes and ocean and that this would be “totally spoilt” by the proposed development.
“But the big question is that the land should have been sold back to BCM at a low price as originally dictated in the title deeds,” said Steyn, who has also appealed approval to rezone.
“Sanders has therefore obtained the land at a small fraction of what it is really worth.
“It could have been sold by auction or other means for a very substantial sum. That money could have been used for the betterment of East London and improvement of services.
Bunkers Hill resident and golfer Sinclair Warner said he had heard the proposed development would be used to house students.
“This is not the right area and is totally unacceptable from both an environmental and logistical point of view because the road is not structured to handle the volume. It will also change the whole nature of the golf course,” said Warner.
BCM had not responded to questions by the time of writing. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
BCM approves bird park rezoning
The land was sold in 1998 to Owen Sanders by the then East London Transitional Local Council for less than R55000 on condition it be developed as a botanical garden or bird park with public access.
Further conditions stipulated that Sanders would not be permitted to sell the erf without first offering it back to the municipality at the original price, calculated proportionally per square metre.
Sanders built a bird park on the 6568²m land, but about three years later sold the birds.
He declined to speak to the Daily Dispatch this week.
Six years ago the late developer Grant Furstenburg attempted to buy the land on which he proposed to build a high-rise 26-storey luxury hotel and two 21-storey apartment buildings, but this was rejected by council following strenuous objections from residents.
However, BCM has now approved the rezoning of the land from open space zone 2 to residential zone 5 (apartments).
Residents who objected to the rezoning are incensed, saying it will affect their views, increase traffic congestion on the narrow road, put pressure on existing municipal infrastructure and devalue properties in nearby upmarket suburbs.
However, BCM contacted objectors via registered letters dated August 19 informing them the council had agreed to the rezoning of the erf from open space to residential Zone 5 (apartments).
Objectors have appealed the decision.
East London Golf Club general manager Brenden Fourie said the golf club, famed for its tranquillity and sea views, had objected and also appealed BCM’s decision.
“We appealed the decision on the grounds that we don’t believe a block of flats fits into the environment or that it fits the aesthetics of the East London Golf Course, which is part of the Nahoon Point Nature Reserve.
Dr Paul Steyn, whose Bunkers Hill home is situated just 200m from the planned development, sent a list of 18 objections to BCM’s directorate of development planning and management, drafted by his lawyer Richard Jardine.
These include that his property would lose its views and value, having bought it knowing that the land in question was zoned as open space.
The list of objections also points out that when international cricket matches are filmed at the Buffalo Park Cricket grounds, television cameras pan over the golf course, dunes and ocean and that this would be “totally spoilt” by the proposed development.
“But the big question is that the land should have been sold back to BCM at a low price as originally dictated in the title deeds,” said Steyn, who has also appealed approval to rezone.
“Sanders has therefore obtained the land at a small fraction of what it is really worth.
“It could have been sold by auction or other means for a very substantial sum. That money could have been used for the betterment of East London and improvement of services.
Bunkers Hill resident and golfer Sinclair Warner said he had heard the proposed development would be used to house students.
“This is not the right area and is totally unacceptable from both an environmental and logistical point of view because the road is not structured to handle the volume. It will also change the whole nature of the golf course,” said Warner.
BCM had not responded to questions by the time of writing. — barbarah@dispatch.co.za
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