Council properties earmarked for housing development

THE announcement that two dilapidated council-owned properties have been earmarked for social housing development has been met with mixed reactions. While the city is being applauded for developing the two derelict properties, concerns have been raised about the lack of consultation with neighbouring property owners.

The Star Seaside Children's Home in Playfair Road, North Beach, and the former Table Tennis Association building in Epsom Road, Greyville, both in close proximity to the beachront, Durban train station and the City centre have been identified for conversion.

The two properties have been featured a number of times in the Berea Mail. Resident, Wayne Grundy described the Epson Road property as a “haven for vagrants and drug users.” The property, he said was surrounded by filth. Rookaya Vawda of North Beach raised the issue of the Star Seaside Children's Home with Berea Mail recently calling for action by the city to clean up the grounds and utilise the vacant buildings.

According to eThekwini Municipality's head of communication, Tozi Mthethwa, conversion of the two properties for social housing will assist in providing much-needed residential opportunities for low income households giving them access to housing opportunities and socio-economic resources within the City.

“The Municipality has undertaken to provide and make rental accommodation accessible for low income groups who cannot afford the private sector rental market.

The developments will consist of bachelor, one-bedroomed and two-bedroomed self-contained units. While all possibilities of high-rise development will be explored, the full development potential of the properties will be subject to the outcome of a detailed feasibility study,” she said. Mthethwa said the development will also prevent the properties from being invaded by vagrants or turned into nests for breeding crime and other illegal activities.

Grundy welcomed the announcement saying he thought it was a good initiative.

“Anything is better than the horrible drug den it has become. I do hope they modernise and beautify it though, maybe a grassy enclosed park or play area with swings for children, some trees maybe, something to take pride in. I hope the revenue will be used for the next project, cleaning up of the area adjacent to the building where a building was demolished. It's a major road into Durban and is unsightly,” he said.

Vawda said she had been trying to ascertain what the plans for the Star Seaside Children's Home buildings were for a while, however it seemed that the city already had plans in the pipeline.

“Having a development in the area will impact on the environment in terms of noise and litter. Yes, the development will prevent vagrants entering the property but not the area. The city hasn't managed to keep vagrants out of the area, they stay in parks and vacant property in the vicinity. They urinate in the park and leave their possessions lying around. If we look at the Berea, Esplande and South Beach areas, these are low income rental areas, the urban decay is spreading. The city should focus on rejuvenating these areas,” she said.

Vawda said many organisations and individuals had submitted proposals to develop the property for projects like old age homes and schools, and she felt the city should first consider one of these projects which would be beneficial to the community living in the area.

Save Our Berea's Kevin Dunkley said the organisation's initial reaction to these proposals was positive as he felt the City was not doing nearly enough for people who were vulnerable. He said any initiative that got people out of the criminal grip of slum landlords should be applauded.

“It is also positive, because the other area of concern in this city is the neglect of buildings by their owners. That two city owned building have been allowed to get into this state is a disgrace. At last it is good to see the city setting some sort of example. However, our initial positive reaction to the proposal is tempered by the lack of consultation with other citizens who have a vested interest in the areas by virtue that they own property there,” said Dunkley.

Dunkley said he had to ask why, even when the city did something constructive, it did it in an autocratic manner without speaking to neighbours.

“One must not assume that the reaction will be negative. One of the very positive laws that protect citizens in the built environment is Section 7 of the National Building Regulations that governs the passing of plans so that neighbours are protected. This city, despite court rulings warning against ignoring this provision, have time and time again chosen to do just that, ignore it and it has come back to bite them legally. Whether this provision legally applies to this situation or not is of no consequence, because it is a sound principle that should be the cornerstone of development in the city. No citizen is more important than another,” he said.

Dunkley said as an example, no action should ever be taken outside of the existing town planning schemes on usage or otherwise that may lower the value of another person’s home in what is usually the biggest investment made in that person’s lifetime.

“Do not misunderstand us, we applaud the supply of rented accommodation for lower income groups, but we need to apply principles that protect all citizens. The bottom line is do it, but do it properly,” he said.