Makana municipality has finally approved Grahamstown businessman Rob Beer's rezoning applications after four years. Speaking to Grocott's Mail on Friday 20 June, Beer said he was thrilled at the outcome.
Makana municipality has finally approved Grahamstown businessman Rob Beer's rezoning applications after four years. Speaking to Grocott's Mail on Friday 20 June, Beer said he was thrilled at the outcome.
He said chances of the new Spar Supermarket to be built on African Street had improved because of this decision.
A letter from Acting Director of Local Economic Development and Planning Directorate (LED) Thembinkosi Sindane on behalf of acting municipal manager Themba Mnguni dated 17 June 2014 confirmed that on 13 June Executive Mayor Zamuxolo Peter approved Beer's application for rezoning of that land from a general residential and special business land to a special zone subject to 13 conditions.
Beer has the right to submit a written appeal to Provincial Premier Phumulo Masualle regarding the conditions within 14 days of receiving the approval letter and send a copy of that appeal to the director of LED.
Beer turned to the courts after his attempts to get the municipality to adjudicate on his plans were unsuccessful.
The case challenges the municipality's alleged failure to act on applications relating to Beer's extensive development plans for the city.
Council records show that Makana Municipality's mayoral committee noted Beer's court action and referred discussion about it to a council meeting scheduled for today, but postponed to Tuesday 24 June.
Municipal spokesperson Yoliswa Ramokolo confirmed on Thursday 19 June that the mayoral committee had approved that the matter go before Council.
The plans placed on hold include an extension of Pepper Grove Mall, expanding the Spar convenience store in African Street into a Spar Supermarket and turning the old cinema at Pepper Grove Mall into a casino.
Beer said this would create around 214 jobs.
After a series of delays in processing the necessary paperwork, Beer turned to the courts.The high court in Grahamstown has since red-flagged the failure of the municipality to adjudicate on Beer's application for the rezoning of land.
The court ordered in terms of Section 6(2)(g) of the promotion of Administrative Justice Act 3 of 2000 that the application, resubmitted on 10 August last year, be reviewed. It further ordered that the municipality must adjudicate on the application within seven days.
The order was served on Monday 9 June.
Beer said the municipality was holding up projects worth at least R50 million which would create about 120 new permanent jobs, with more to come from the construction phase.
The businessman said his investments in the town generate millions in rates and services for the municipality and that his companies employ 61 permanent workers.
According to the letter from Sindane, if notification of submission of the appeal is not received within the stipulated time period, it will be assumed that no appeal has been lodged. It is further stated that if the approval is not acted on within two years from the date of the letter it will be considered to have lapsed.
