LETTERS: UIP and KDM are not adversaries

The Urban Improvement Precint wishes to respond to the article “Council vetoes car guard controls” (The North Coast Courier, September 23).
The UIP has since establishment in November 2015 built a successful and mutually beneficial partnership with KwaDukuza municipality. We would hope the majority have seen and experienced the improved public areas in and around the M4 entering Ballito, P445, Ballito Business Park, Ballito Drive and the beachfront and it is acknowledged that there is still much work to be done.
The improvement has been as a direct result of a combined service effort by KDM and UIP – integrated service delivery plans have been successfully implement and a great deal of goodwill generated. It must be noted that servicing public areas is challenging, a recent example was a stormwater drain on Douglas Crowe Rd which was repaired by KDM, destroyed one day later by a large truck and repaired again by KDM two days after that.
As with any relationship there are challenging times, a point in case is the Sidewalk Monitor Project which has been proposed to replace informal car guards, the same project has proved very successful on Florida Road in Durban. In this regard the car guard article positioned KDM and UIP as adversaries which is not the case, nor assists in finding a workable solution which is in the interest of all. The UIP therefore request that KDM be given the opportunity to respond to the matter.
It must be noted that the establishment and annual renewal of the UIP agreement is at the discretion of KDM and not that of the UIP. However, the real essence of success lies in the UIP and KDM fostering a mutually beneficial partnership which enhances the quality of public areas, grows investor confidence and economic development in Ballito. This sets up the opportunity for UIPs to be replicated in other nodes within KDM by local champions.
BRIAN WRIGHT (UIP Project Leader)
Ballito