614 Currie Road: Developer seeks approval for deviation from plans
Save Our Berea have been angered by a notice for proposed deviations to approved plans at 614 Currie Road.
AN application, published in local newspapers last week, seeking the approval by the city of deviations from the approved building plans at 614 Currie Road, has been slammed by Save Our Berea founders, Cheryl Johnson and Kevin Dunkley, who have described the move as scandalous.
According to the pair, investigations reveal that the owner of 614 Currie Road has illegally extended the side spaces by a meter, built boundary walls in excess of 2m and increased the overall coverage from 40 per cent to 45 per cent.
“Now he is trying to legalise these deviations by applying for approval after he has completed building. We say he shouldn’t be allowed to do this, and we call on all residents to say no. We call on all residents to write letters and send emails opposing this application and we call on all residents to send emails to the City Manager demanding he investigate why the building inspector allowed these deviations to be built against the National Building Regulations state otherwise.”
The special consent advertisement invites residents living in and around Currie Road who have an interest in the development to lodge any objections to the deviation with the municipality by 27 May.
Johnson and Dunkley expressed their anger saying the application came after the deviations had already been carried out and the development was almost complete and in obvious breach of the approved plans.
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“An application to approve deviations at 614 Currie Road makes a mockery of the entire purpose of the requirements of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act and town planning scheme controls. It is scandalous that this has been published after deviations have already been made,” they said.
According to the pair, the local building inspector is responsible for regulating building activities undertaken upon a property by the owner and ensuring that such activity is in accordance with an approval granted by the local authority, not planning authorisation. “Where such activity is not in terms of an approval granted by the local authority, the building inspector is responsible for instituting the necessary legal action against the owner. Why wasn’t this done? And if it was, why was it ineffective?” they said.
They said any deviation or departure from local authority approval and approved building plan necessary on site required the submission and approval of a building application before such changes could be effected on the site. No building work in respect of a proposed deviation or departure may be undertaken until approval therefore has been obtained.
“Even more shocking is the fact that the residents who have been negatively affected by these deviations and who have been proactive in expressing their objections to the relevant city officials who are legally tasked with ensuring that the National Building Regulations are complied with, and that the plans approved by the relevant city officials are adhered to, have got nowhere with their complaints,” they said.
Johnson and Dunkley said in December 2017, Save Our Berea facilitated two meetings with the relevant heads of departments and the affected residents, hoping to find a solution.
“Even as we discussed the situation in those meetings with officials who are responsible for enforcing the by-laws, the developer continued to build his deviations unhindered, making a mockery of the entire purpose of the requirements of the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act and town planning scheme controls.”
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When contacted, the owner of the property Farad Joosab said he would not comment, and referred Berea Mail to the Town Planning Department.
The public is invited to lodge written objections by 27 May by hand to Region Co-ordinator: Central Region, Land Use Management Branch, Ground Floor, 166 KE Masinga Road, Durban, or by registered post to P O Box 680, Durban, 4000, or by fax to 031 311 7859, or by e-mail to stanley.dludla@durban.gov.za. (Central regional office: 031 311 7499), and the applicant: Farad Joosab, C/O Mr Y Moodley, PO Box 351101, Northway, 4065.
Should residents fail to lodge or forward objections to both parties, the objection will be invalid.
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