THERE’S a glimmer of hope for residents who live in the vicinity of the vacant Green with Envy nursery site on Vause Road which has been at the centre of controversy for a number of years. After a number of engagements with the Department of Public Works – the legal owner of the property – plans are being developed for the proper utilisation of the property once more.
The property was left vacant when the popular cafe and nursery vacated the premises leaving it to become overgrown, a haven for vagrants and criminals, and cause for concern for surrounding residents.
Speaking to Berea Mail, resident Arshad Mahomed, who lives close to the nursery site, said he had noticed an unsually high number of geckos and garden snakes in his property which seemed to be coming from the overgrown site.
“The aesthetic of the area is also spoilt with the overgrown verges and trees spilling over the fencing around the nursery. I brought this to the attention of Chris Pappas, our local councillor at the time, and he directed me to the relevant government departments. I had a meeting with the local municipal person at the site to show them the state of the property, but they passed the problem on to another department,” he said.
Another resident said the ‘eyesore’ property had not been maintained, despite being located in a well-developed area where homeowners paid high rates and taxes.
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Former councillor, Chris Pappas, confirmed that the property is owned by the Department of Public Works and said this made it the Department’s responsibility to maintain, which they had failed to uphold. Pappas said this was the result of a dispute over jurisdiction, whether it was the responsibility of national or provincial government. He said residents had not been concerned about who owned the property, but merely wanted it maintained, cleared and put to good use.
Responding to the good news that action was finally being taken to utilise this land, Pappas said: “The property, which is more than four hectares in size, has been earmarked to be used by the Department of Environmental Affairs for a project involving the establishment of Waste Management Bureau regional offices. This is a first of its kind project in KZN,” he said.
Pappas said the property would be officially handed over to the Department of Environmental Affairs for renovation in due course.
“Once the handover occurs, all security and maintenance issues will be taken over by the Department of Environmental Affairs,” he said.
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