The Bo-Kaap Civic and Ratepayers’ Association (BKCRA) is disappointed that the Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) has approved the application for a six-storey building at 150 Buitengracht Street.
BKCRA has appealed the decision made by the MPT last month.
Known as an aparthotel, the development is near the historic Auwal mosque (“Residents celebrate ruling”, November 21, 2019,) ; (“Development dispute over vacant lot”, March 31, 2022.
“The impact of this development, in its current form, on the living cultural heritage and traditions of Bo-Kaap is undeniably detrimental,” a BKCRA statement says.
“Bo-Kaap is more than a geographic location; it is a vibrant cultural heritage site that pulses through the heart of Cape Town. This area is a testament to our nation’s rich history and traditions, which continue to shape our collective identity. Bo-Kaap’s living heritage serves as a source of inspiration, pride, and a shared commitment to preserving the threads that connect us to our past while guiding us into a vibrant future.”
The BKCRA said the South African Heritage Resources Agency has established the site as a Grade I heritage resource, which includes the National Heritage Site of the country’s oldest mosque, the Auwal mosque, which has an active congregation. The accepted concept will jeopardise the integrity of this valuable site, they said.
“The special sense of religious, spiritual, and social order surrounding the mosque will be disrupted by this secular building’s scale, architectural character, and activities.
“While we welcome the development of this site, it must not harm Bo-Kaap’s complex urban fabric or its social and religious functions. We appreciate the developer’s recognition of the area’s significance, but it is clear that the current proposal’s impacts are too damaging to be permitted,” they say.
According to Zane De Decker, CEO of Flyt Property Investment, there was an extensive engagement process and all parties agreed to the final design.
He said they used the drawings that the BKCRA representative, Dr Stephen Townsend, provided as the basis for their new design which was a height of six storeys rather than the previously approved nine.
“Following this agreement, we then proceeded to re-submit the updated plans to the City of Cape Town, who duly approved them as they are in line with the agreement and outcome of the engagement process,” Mr De Decker says.
Mr De Decker said it was upsetting that despite all of the constructive engagement and addressing all of the Bo-Kaap’s concerns, the BKCRA is not following through on the agreement.
“What was the point of all the engagement, and us taking on their ideas and listening to them, if they going to appeal it anyway? This is a direct repudiation of the agreement we reached via the facilitation process conducted independently by SAHRA. We are confident that the appeal will not be successful, and only serves to waste our time and destroy all the goodwill that was build up during the engagement process. This is a real pity, as we thought we could work with the Bo-Kaap Civic going forward in a positive manner,” he said.
The City of Cape Town said the property in question is zoned as Mixed-Use 3, which permits a number of primary uses including a hotel.
The City approval that was granted by the MPT only relates to building form and not the use of the property given the permitted primary uses that include a hotel.
The closing date for appeals against the MPT decision was last Friday, July 26.
