Another hurdle for R4bn Two Rivers Park development plan

NEWS / 18 DECEMBER 2019, 3:06PM / MARVIN CHARLES

The Department of Transport and Public Works said the River Club site has been protected by the National Heritage Resources Act’s general protections and by the Heritage Impact Assessment process undertaken by the Liesbeek Leisure Property Trust since February 2017. File photo: African News Agency (ANA) Archives.Cape Town – The R4 billion Two Rivers Urban Park development at the River Club in Observatory has hit another hurdle, with various groups vowing to bring an application to have the land declared a provincial heritage site.Observatory Civic Association member Tauriq Jenkins claimed the developer acccused a handful of Observatory residents of stalling the project, but they were still applying to declare the area a heritage site.

On Tuesday, members of the First Nations and civic organisations held a press briefing over the controversial development by the Liesbeek Leisure Property Trust (LLPT).

Jenkins said the residents were determined to stall the project.

Two Rivers Urban Park Association chairperson Marc Turok said: “We have had five years of consultation and have a document which is still in place and entrenches this park as a park with its heritage and its environment that was supposed to be restored.

“There is no right within the River Club area for a development other than a slight adjustment to the footprint – and it’s a place that should not be developed at all.”

For seven years, residents of Observatory have been objecting to the redevelopment plans.

Developer Jody Aufrichtig said: “It is not clear what the agenda of this group is, but we can only infer that it’s an attempt to block concerted efforts by the developer to responsibly address the continued injustices of apartheid spatial planning under the guise of heritage concerns.

“We are also not aware of any application other than the current pending Section 29 provisional protection order (that is a very public process) and which order expires in April 2020.”

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