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Developments are subject to circumstances [LETTER]

Any development that has ramifications involving traffic, road construction, safety and security, health and ecology requires an EIA (environmental impact study).

EDITOR – Of course the Bluff needs development, but it should be subject to circumstances and not imposed in the face of realistic objections.

Unfortunately, cllr JP Prinsloo and Helga du Plessis of Sodurba, seem to have the opinion that their visions of development are not negotiable (SUN, 13 September). At issue is their proposed construction of elevated decks for whale-watching enthusiasts. Already the one in Finnemore Place is problematic, because of the filth that has accumulated in its vicinity as a result of its convenience for anti-social elements. Then there is the issue of parking and traffic.

Any development that has ramifications involving traffic, road construction, safety and security, health and ecology requires an EIA (environmental impact study). In claiming that the deck and stair structure in Finnemore Place satisfied DMOSS requirements and, therefore, did not require an EIA, Prinsloo has evaded the concomitant consequences of the deck structure.

Yet his solution is for Finnemore residents to join a WhatsApp group, so that law enforcement can be summoned when the deck is being abused by anti-social elements. Besides that being a naive solution, given the poor proficiency of law enforcement, the reality is that Finnemore Place now has problems and issues it never had before the deck was constructed. What benefit are those residents deriving from whale watching?

Wary of that situation, the residents of Netford Road have indicated their opposition to the construction of a deck in their street. Prinsloo’s claim that those residents were unaware of the purpose of the petition they signed in objecting to the proposed viewing deck is not only devoid of truth, but also an insult to their intelligence.

A detailed statement of the consequences of the proposed whale-watching structure was circulated to almost all Netford Road residents after a street meeting was held on August 14.

Development proposals need to take into account the circumstances of a location, residents’ opinions and above all to be transparent and flexible. Whale-watching or dolphin watching (and maybe sardine watching) is well and good, but it needs to be accommodated within the circumstances pertaining to a location. Projecting prospective financial spin-offs accruing to the Bluff while playing down the negative effects for property owners in Finnemore and Netford roads is neither smart nor acceptable economics.

That said, the Bluff Ratepayers’ Association rejects with contempt Prinsloo’s claim that it seeks to “stifle economic development”. Nothing could be further from the truth. The BRA is simply concerned that developments are economically sound and feasible, unlike the white elephant park that Prinsloo promoted adjacent to Short Road and the ecological scar he authorised adjacent to the derelict Bluff Show Grounds.

DR DUNCAN DU BOIS

 

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