THE Drakenstein Council has approved the amendment of the Urban Structure Plan for Paarl to allow for the development of Adamsvale south of Paarl for 200 housing units, despite numerous objections from residents of the De Zoete Inval neighbourhood.
The area of nearly 10 hectares is located across the railway line from De Zoete Inval, but will only be accessed from the Simondium road next to the Paarl School of Skills.
It will be a gated development and will be surrounded by a wall, to prevent residents from crossing the railway line and walking through De Zoete Inval as a shortcut to Paarl.
Residents of De Zoete Inval fear that the new development of small units (single residential erven and townhouses) will lower the value of their properties.
The development is intended specifically to house farm workers and their families who are currently living on farms on the west bank of the Berg River, which are to be developed for upmarket housing as part of the R1 billion Levendal project.
An application for rezoning of land for the Levendal project has been submitted to the relevant authorities following an environmental impact study.
About 80% of the land in the Levendal project will still be utilised for agricultural purposes.
Levendal Developments is owned by Power Development, Lord Trust and Samfu (a black empowerment company).
* The Council has also approved a proposed housing development in Groenheuwel, Paarl, for “gap” housing for people with an income above R3500. Residents on the municipal waiting list will get preference.
The 1200 units of various sizes will be sold on a plot-and-plan basis, although a rental component may be included.
The developer, Paarl Development Trust, has Schalk Loots of Strand and Rachied Shaik as trustees and is to purchase the property at a price of R3,35 million.
