The driving force behind a chain of building developments that will change the face of Grahamstown is upbeat despite authorities declining his application this week.
The driving force behind a chain of building developments that will change the face of Grahamstown is upbeat despite authorities declining his application this week.
Earlier this month Grocott's Mail quoted project management company Izenzo's David Davies saying that the R500 million development was in the final stages of approval. It includes middle-income housing and a shopping mall on the current golf course, and soccer and agricultural academies and a new golf course in Belmont Valley.
Also linked to Izenzo's ambitious plans is an upgrade of the Grahamstown airport to allow the introduction of commercial flights to Cape Town, Johannesburg and Durban. Crucial to the project proposal is an upgrade to the city’s waste-water treatment plant and this requires an environmental impact assessment, the Department of Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism says.
Responding to the application, the department warned that both Belmont Valley and Mayfield sewage treatment works already exceeded their storage capacity. The Belmont Valley Waste Water Treatment Works, which will receive flows from the proposed development, has a design capacity of 5.4 Ml/day, the letter to the developers stated. The current average daily flow is 8Ml/day. Therefore the facility is operating at 48% over the design capacity.
In consideration of the above-mentioned issues, the department declines to authorise the development, as no bulk services are available. Upgrading of Waste Water Treatment Works to service the proposed development would require Environmental Impact Assessment and the competent authority is the National Department of Environmental Affairs. Davies confirmed that their application had been declined.
"It was refused until the upgrade of the sewerage system is done, so all we have to do is upgrade the system at the old golf course," Davies said.
On the development of the new golf course, they have requested clarification about the water and agriculture. Davies said they were nevertheless planning to appeal the department's decision in the new year. "We will appeal the decision in early January. We are happy to attend to what they raise about the sewage system."
Davies was not concerned about what he sees as just a delay. "We had 18 months to finish the new golf course and then after that start [the housing development]on the old one."
Makana Municipality is still seeking funding to upgrade the Belmont Valley Waste Water Treatment Works. Technical and Infrastructure services director Thembinkosi Myalato said they had appointed an engineer to do a feasibility study that will be presented to the Department of Water Affairs.
"If we get a commitment from the department to give us funding, even if they say for example they will give us funding in 2016/17 financial year, we will enter into a public-private partnership with the developers and then pay them back when we get the money. We are still looking for funding," Myalato said.
Davies said they would meet with Makana municipality today to discuss whether they will do the upgrade, or enter into a public-private partnership.
