Lilian Develing, of Conomirra, has highlighted a couple of developments on the horizon for the Assagay/Shongweni area. If you’d like to raise an objection, please see below for details the necessary protocol.
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In the Mercury on Monday: Tongaat Hulett has advertised their application for an EIA at Shongweni for a Regional Retail and mixed use development, including the upgrading of affected roads and service infrastructure. The development will include medium to high density residential units, including expansive areas of rehabilitated open space and the promotion of sustainability measures.
This is a Basic Assessment application. Interest and Affected Parties (I&AP) are to register within 14 days of the advertisement (6 February).
Representations with respect to the application may be made by telephone, fax or email. When replying to the advertisement it must be stated whether the I&AP wish to have a public meeting.
Kerry Seppings Environmental Management Specialists cc. Contact Trenell Sewraj: phone 031 769 1578, fax 031 769 1579, email kerry.seppings@telkomsa.net. Website www.ksems.co.za.
From Lilian:
One of the biggest issues with this development is the provision of schools. No new Government schools have been built in the area in the past 25 years. The rule is that there need to be 1 new school (from Grade 000 to Grade 12) for every 1 000 residential units. At this rate, at least 5 schools should have been built in Hillcrest alone.
The Tongaat Hulett development will alter the face of the Outer West.
The proposed site is 2 000 ha and stretches from Gillitt Road in Hillcrest, down to the M13: the area where the shopping centre will be is that next to the Polo Grounds and extends to the mushroom farm and on right down to the Shongweni Dam. The green sugar cane will be no more.
Hillcrest CBD would be affected in terms of retail shopping and office accommodation. This could affect the values of properties in the surrounding areas as well.
The application for the Sewerage Scheme of the area is still underway. Under this scheme, the whole of Hillcrest could be serviced and would have water borne sewage removal.
The cost factor is considerable. The city charges a connection fee into tens of thousands and each household would have to have a connection to the line done by their own plumbers. The cost of the sewage removal is then linked to the consumption of water used. And anything up to 90% of consumption has an extra charge.
The Hillcrest Ratepayers Association and Conomirra have worked with Tongaat in drawing up plans for the area. A Spatial Development Plan was done in 2006 and the time has now come to start the transformation.
Contacts:
Hillcrest Ratepayers Association – http://www.hillcrest-ratepayer.co.za/
Conomirra – http://bhra.yolasite.com/conomirra.php
Tongaat Hulett – http://www.tongaat.co.za/
1 Comment
I reckon these plans have long been in the pipeline. I suppose you need to weigh up the needs for progress and commercial interests v protecting a beautiful part of the world. Roads and infrastructure will be a massive undertaking, no doubt.