Hout and About

News from Residents’Association of Hout Bay

PO Box 27031, Hout Bay, 7872

rahb@houtbay.org.za       www.houtbay.org.za

Jan 2007

 

HAPPY  NEW YEAR!

 

The Residents’ Association of Hout Bay wishes all our members and the whole community of Hout Bay a very happy, meaningful, safe and secure 2007!

 

BY-ELECTION on Wed 7 Feb

 

Due to the death of our Councillor, Pieter Venter, there will be a by-election for Ward 74, Clifton, Camps Bay, Llandudno and Hout Bay on the Wednesday 7th February 2007.  We urge you to exercise your vote because, as you know, local government (i.e. the City Council as opposed to the Provincial and National Government) plays the most influential role in the well-being of communities. 

 

RECENT ISSUES OF CONCERN

 

Our Association has, in the past year, been increasingly successful in dealing with planning, environmental, by-law enforcement and health issues.  As such, the multi-party Council needs to be congratulated for their attempts at trying to balance the needs and desires of local communities with the overall needs of the City and long-term sustainable viability. 

 

We understand that the City has not defended the court action by the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and other local bodies calling for it to carry out it’s responsibilities with regard to the lack of action regarding the orderly development of Imizamo Yethu (IY).  However, we have been led to believe that attention will be focussed by the City on this shortly (we hope soon after the by-election). 

 

The extreme health hazard (intense pollution of both the river and the sea) towards the end of last year, caused by too many people settling informally in IY and above it, was a wake-up call for many people. 

 

Overcrowding needs to be dealt with sustainably, for the benefit of the whole community of Hout Bay.  It would seems that the carrying capacity of Hout Bay needs to be assessed and used in planning decisions – and this applies not only to the situation on IY, but also to the rest of Hout Bay.  Infrastructural limitations, in particular, overcrowded and dangerous access and egress roads (but also sewage, electricity, water), are vital considerations.  Once these are exceeded, it will be very difficult to deal effectively with them at a later date.  These are issues that the whole community needs to grapple with realistically with the Council and its advisors.   Action is long overdue.  

 

Sewage:  Many people probably don’t even realise that Hout Bay’s ‘formal’ sewage (i.e. that which goes through the sewer) is macerated (broken up), sieved and pumped via a pipeline off Bad Tamboer, to be dispersed into middle of the bay.  Original predictions (in about 1990) were that by 2011 pollution levels in the sea would have reached unacceptable levels and that a fully-fledged sewage system would need to be installed at that time.  Since then, unprecedented development has occurred in Hout Bay with numbers far exceeding what was planned and so the predicted ‘2011’ is highly likely to have long-since been overtaken and the construction of a proper sewage system is long overdue and should be a priority.   We have requested that this be put onto the Council’s budget agenda because such major infrastructure projects take time to be implemented.  While some officials will argue that the pollution levels are often not unreasonable, one only has to take a walk on the beach and look for ‘beach snails’ – there are none, and they should be there. 

Such animals are termed ‘biological indicators’ as they serve the function of integrating the effects of the pollution, whereas monthly water tests are effectively snapshots in time and space.  The beach is suffering the effects of chronic long-term pollution. 

 

SUB-COUNCILS

The City has recently been subdivided into twenty-one Subcouncils to facilitate dealing with local issues and, hopefully, help bring decision-making closer to the people whom it affects.  Hout Bay, Llandudno and part of Camps Bay (Ward 74) has been combined with Ward 54 (City Bowl including BoKaap) and Ward 77 (Camps Bay, Sea Point, Green Point) to form the Good Hope Subcouncil (number 16).  

NEW APPLICATION

Erf 547 (remainder of erf) on the dunes opposite Empire Ave:  Application for Rezoning, Conditional Use, and Departures, to permit an Hotel:  Objections must be lodged not later than Friday 19 February 2007.  We looked at this application last year (when it came to us as part of the EIA process from which it subsequently was exempt for various reasons – this aspect also needs investigation).  We intend submitting a strong objection.

The planners who zoned the primary dune fields and beach precinct as “Amenities” obviously intended that one of Hout Bay's main assets (its beach and nearby dunes) should be preserved as such: although some development could be allowed in the less sensitive areas, the existing natural characteristics of the area would survive.  Such piecemeal erosion of this area would  clearly compromise the beach/dune interface that characterises the sea-side of Princess Road.  Here we are presented with the continuation of the systematic reduction of this asset – a section of dune is to be totally removed to the full extent of the site, with a free-standing edifice perched at ridge-top height, to form an extremely prominent structure.

In practical terms, there is concern at the probable effect on the surrounding properties of deep excavations in soft sand right on the boundary lines.  There is no mention of who is responsible for the extension to Empire Avenue.  Also, there is no indication of the effect on the flow of space wrought by the inevitable boundary and security walling.

We would like to point out that the existing “Beach Club” development on the estuary  (not far away) has proved to be most unfortunate and that a bad precedent should not be repeated.  Unit owners have had to suffer many negative consequences of development on the beach, such as intense wind and scouring – large windows and doors are pitted so severely that they have had to be replaced when the southeaster dominates (as is perfectly normal).  But, more importantly, the development has compromised the estuary and the rivers natural path in violation of normal guidelines for development in sensitive areas. 

Comments and objections to this application may be sent to: The Municipal Manager, Urban and Environmental Services, South Peninsula Admin, City of Cape Town, Private Bag X5, Plumstead 7801 or faxed to 021 710-8283 (tel.-8202); attention Mr. M. Barnes.  The general telephone number for the SPA is 710-8000.

GENERAL

Hout Bay is well known for its natural beauty and setting between the mountains and the sea with a river corridor connecting the two.  Over the years many people have seen the importance of conserving our natural heritage and the rural ambiance of Hout Bay with the result that it has long since been declared a ‘special area’ attractive to locals and tourists alike (people come from all over the world to appreciate the beauty and biodiversity of the fynbos kingdom! 

Let us make sure that our children and grandchildren and theirs will also be able to appreciate this special place.  Remember too that the ‘specialness’ of Hout Bay and its surrounds is what drives the economy of the area and that if we allow this to be damaged, we will reduce the ability of the area to support its inhabitants. 

Len Swimmer

Chairperson, Residents’ Assoc of Hout Bay

Tel: 790-0268, Email: lens@telkomsa.net

Jan 2007

           

Dear Hout Bay resident

Would you like warning of any of the following possibilities?

- Your neighbour is about to sell their house to a developer who will be bulldozing it and others in your street to construct a block of flats

- The beach is covered in raw sewerage following another failure by the pump station

- Your neighbour is going to subdivide their property and build four more houses

- Imizamo Yethu is going to expand or shrink

- A new hotel is to be constructed right on the beach front

- Safety & Security issues which affect house values and desirability of living in Hout Bay

For many in Hout Bay, one or more of these possibilities is already a reality. 

The Residents Association of Hout Bay tries to inform the public long before such changes adversely affect the value of your home or the well-being of those that live in it.

We invite you to join the Resident’s Association by sending an email to rahb@houtbay.org.za and we can send you details re membership and alert you to some of the important issues that might affect you as a resident of Hout Bay in our monthly newsletter. 

 

 

You might also want to use your skill to help the Association operate and participate in community affairs

MEMBERSHIP

(R50 per couple, R30 per individual)

Forms from Chairperson or Library.

               

Association  Banking Details:  First National Bank, Hout Bay Branch (branch code 204 009), Account name - Residents Association of Hout Bay, Account Number – 5345 1027 173. 

Subscriptions may be paid electronically (use your full name as a reference on the payment – to ensure that we correctly credit your membership as this information appears on our Bank Statement

If you prefer, payment can also be dropped into our wooden box at the Library (next to the Hall doors) or posted to our Post Office Box: 27031 Hout Bay, 7872.