Halted development causes community issues
NEWLANDS – Concerned residents and community members assess the state of undeveloped property on the border of Newlands.
Concerned residents from Newlands, Sophiatown, and Albertville recently undertook a controlled survey to determine the state of an underdeveloped land project on the borders of each of these suburbs.
The survey discovered a host of illegal activities on development including issues of illegal dumping and vagrant settlements. The property on the corner of Stonewall Road and 5th Street was sold to the Waterval Joint Venture Company in 2012. It was reserved for a mixed land-use development project which included commercial, retail, and residential allocation.
The property has been a bone of contention for a number of residents and institutions in the area, as development on the property abruptly stopped, and has remained underdeveloped to date.
Laerskool Esperenza is located next to the development, and has been concerned about its further deterioration. Principal at the school, Martin Bensch explained that the the development has turned into a real eye-sore, and poses a real risk for pupils as more vagrants and drugs have been discovered on the undeveloped ground. “We have installed palisade fencing to keep vagrants out, but the situation is only getting worse,” he said
Concerned Newlands resident David van der Merwe has expressed his frustration in having the development pose such a threat to the community. “We have been struggling for more than two years with this development. It has been habouring unsavory elements and should be dealt with by the authorities and community,” he said.
