uMhlanga has lost its ‘village appeal’ says residents
Developers however, argue that the face of uMhlanga will change to further catapult it into one of the most sought-after residential and international tourist destinations in the world.
THE R3.1-billion Oceans Umhlanga Development , which was launched last year by businessmen, Vivian Reddy, and Rob Alexander of Edison and Ducatus property groups has been met with opposition from uMhlanga and North Durban residents. They say the new development has meant that uMhlanga has lost its ‘village appeal’.
The ‘Dubai-style’ mixed-use development includes two residential towers, a shopping mall and a luxury 200-room five-star hotel. However, residents say the area can’t cope with the increase in traffic on Lighthouse Road and Lagoon Drive in particular and have questioned whether the development was steamrolled without following due process, especially with regards to the traffic impact assesment (TIA) report.
Pregan Naicker, CEO of Oceans Development, however mooted these suggestions saying a project of this magnitude can never be steamrolled without every stringent due process being followed.
The face of uMhlanga will change
“The developers will be paying a contribution for the conversion of Lagoon Drive into a four-lane traffic thoroughfare, in addition to extending Ridge Road to link into Lagoon Drive, taking into full cognisance the projected increased traffic flow. Once again, no regulatory processes or imperatives were compromised. A full TIA was made available at the eThekwini offices for public scrutiny.
“The face and landscape of uMhlanga will change to such an extent that it will further catapult this area into one of the most sought-after residential and international tourist destinations in the world. How many other regions in this province, and indeed within the country, can boast of such a profile combining luxurious lifestyle with quintessential comfort of shopping within a pristine seaside resort?” Naicker said.
He added that the development had already attracted 14 000 interested buyers and questioned who the ‘village appeal’ serves.
“It begs a question as to whose parochial needs does a ‘village appeal’ serve or pander to. There is absolutely no doubt that the majority of residents in this region overwhelmingly favour the progressive and trail-blazing development. This is borne out by the fact that after the mandatory public scrutiny process, there were only three ‘objections’ of any significance, and these objections were more clarification requests than meaningful objections. Unfortunately, it is a pattern throughout the world that a small or fringe group will always try to frustrate development, often for the wrong reasons.
“Besides any other reason, the concomitant effect of such a development is a major benefit to all owners of property and businesses in the region through escalating property values and increased consumerism. Nobody can argue against this. The simple barometer to demonstrate the need for such a project resides in the post launch registration of over 14 000 interested buyers, and this for only 450 residential units. We have international hotels vying to be part of this development and some of the greatest iconic shopping brands,” Naicker said.
