Date to open Horwoods’ Farm to be announced

Several years after construction work started at Horwoods’ Farm, Ward 18 Clr Heather Hart is calling for the park to be reopened for public use and for the property to be removed from the city’s Strategic Land Parcel (SLP) list.

The project to upgrade the park started in 2018 but the park was closed to the public at the end of 2019.

Hart said the project was planned over two years but took longer due to the Covid-19 lockdown in 2020 and additional work added to phase two, which lasted until the end of 2020

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She said at the end of 2020 phase three of the park started but is still not completed due to budget cutbacks and further Covid-19 lockdowns.

Hart said adding to the scope of the project, which included new sewerage lines for the guardhouse and ablutions, new lighting, extra gym equipment, the start of the third phase and lockdowns caused by the pandemic were the main reasons why the project was delayed.

“The park can operate alongside phase three but Covid lockdowns have delayed the handover back from the environmental resource department to the parks department,” said Hart.

“Even with delays the main upgrade only took slightly over two years and could have opened to the public early 2021.”

Hart said efforts to re-open the park were made in early 2021.

“In the interim, the divisional head who was driving the upgrade is no longer working at the metro as his five-year contract expired,” said Hart.

“The acting department head simply has to wait on the head of department and no date has been forthcoming.”

Hart said R20-million was put aside for the Horwoods’ Farm project over a multi-year budget. She said the project has not overrun the budget despite the extra scoping.

Although the main construction project is completed parts of the park still need some attention.

During a visit to the park with the NEWS on August 11, Hart pointed out portions of the park that still needed grass, weeds on walkways, and trees she identified as invasive species.

“Ideally the park should be fully rehabilitated at this stage of the project.”

Hart said the closure of the park, for such an extended amount of time, resulted in some disappointment from the community.

“We had hoped that we could have kept one side open while contractors worked on the other,” said Hart.

“It became too great a liability for the metro and contractors to having ‘unauthorised’ community members and even animals on a construction site so were closed to the public at the end of 2019.”

Despite the delay in the project, Hart said she did not receive complaints regarding the construction of the park.

“Concern was expressed by some community members when trees were removed during phase three. Unfortunately, it was the only way we could redesign the island,” said Hart.

Besides calling for the park to be reopened Hart intends to submit a petition to the City of Ekurhuleni council calling for the park to be removed from the city’s Strategic Land Parcel (SLP) list.

Hart said the CoE’s real estate department still has Horwood’s Farm listed as an SLP for leasing out to a third party and for the development of social housing.

“The petition asks real estate, in the light of the upgrade, to remove this Mayoral Flagship Project Park from the SLP list.

“It also asks for the parks department to consider allowing Friends of Horwood’s Farm to enter into a step-up campaign agreement with the city wherein Horwood’s Farm could ensure that the park is better maintained.”

Hart said the founder of friends of Horwoods’ Farm, Sharon Lendrum-Frittelli, would be happy to see the transformation of the park.

She also thanked Ward 18 committee member Margy Pedder for driving the project on the ground.

Once the park reopens and markets are allowed again Friends of Horwoods’ Farm hopes to use a portion of the funds generated by the markets to manage the park.

Hart said although the community has been patient it is desperate to have its park opened up again.

A request for comment was sent to the City of Ekurhuleni on August 17 requesting comment by August 20 at 09:00.

At the time of going to print no comment was received.

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