Sahra thinks again about Boschendal
2006-08-31
THE Appeals Committee of the SA Heritage Resources Association, has upheld the appeals from various organisations against the in-principle approval given to the first phase development of the Boschendal farmlands.
It referred the matter back to the permit committee which “must act within its satutorily conferred powers and mandate, conclude its work and issue a final decision as soon as possible.
“A number of the conditions set by the permit Committee were unclear, ambiguous, incapble of implementation and unclear whether they had to be met prior to or after subdivision.
“In-principle approval can not be converted into final approval without consultation with, and participation of other stakeholders with a bona fide interest except the applicant.
“It was clear that the Permit Committee was of the view that certain aspects required further investigation.”
The Drakenstein Heritage Foundation was amongst the organisations which appealed against the approval on the grounds that the ad hoc Permit Committee of Sahra had exceeded the powers laid down in the National Heritage Resources Act.
“It has imposed conditions that are vague and subject to dispute, and has effectively shut out the rights of interested and affected parties.”
The first-phase proposal by Boschendal’s owners, Boschendal Limited - which bought the historic estate from the Anglo American Corporation a few years ago - is to sell on the basis of 99-year leasehold not more than 19 single residential 20ha stands to form what it terms would be a Founders Estate, set among the vineyards below the Simonsberg and abutting Pniel village.
While giving its in-principle approval Sahra indicated its awareness that the Cape Winelands cultural landscape had been placed on the World Heritage Tentative List as it meets some of the criteria used to assess “outstanding universal value”, which includes those of authenticity and integrity.
Said the DHF: “Even with proposed mitigating measures for the development, the integrity of the landscape will be affected and the likelihood exists that it and that potentially the Dwars River Valley would be excluded from eventual WHS (World Heritage Site) listing”.
It would, the DHF said “have a potentially significant negative impact on the natural and cultural heritage that currently exists on the property.
“There needs to be some kind of co-operative arrangement that would ensure that uniform and consistent management of the natural and cultural heritage takes place."
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