Settlement sites assessed
2007-03-29
AFTER a lengthy delay, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the Groot Drakenstein Rural Settlement has been restarted.
The proponent, the Cape Winelands District Municipality, appointed Arcus Gibb in December 2003 to undertake an assessment of the proposed Groot Drakenstein Rural Settlement, which is expected to comprise 600 houses either at Meerlust Bosbou or another site in the area.
A Scoping Study of 16 possible sites was undertaken in 2004 and the Final Scoping Report was submitted to the Department of Environmental and Development Planning (DEA+DP) for consideration in December 2004.
The Final Scoping Report identified Site E (Meerlust Bosbou) as the only suitable site and recommended that it be investigated further in the assessment phase of the environmental process, but the Department of Environmental Affairs wishes that alternative sites be investigated.
A long and involved tendering and adjudication process for the appointment of all the specialists required for the assessment of the sites has ensued.
The assessment phase will investigate three alternative sites, including the “no go” option. The sites are Meerlust Bosbou), Merwede on the Safariland road and a combination of sites at Wemmershoek settlement.
Specialist studies will be undertaken at all three sites by ITS (transport), Octagonal Development (socio-economic), Nick Helme Botanical Surveys, Chittenden Nicks de Villiers (visual) and Jake de Villiers and Urban Design Services (heritage).
The heritage study will include an open day to be held soon. The team will be assisted by TV3 (Planners) and Ninham Shand (Engineering Services).
The information provided by the specialists will be assessed and incorporated into the draft environmental impact report which will be made available to I&APs for comment.
The final report will be submitted to the Department for a Record of Decision.
I&APs are welcome to submit comment to Arcus Gibb at PO Box 3965, Cape Town 8000 on tel 021-469-9100, or fax 021-424-5571 or email Jenny Moon on jmoon@gibb.co.za.
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