Residents of 134-year-old area up in arms against developers

Muckleneuk residents are concerned about an application for rezoning by developers, Macinvest Pty Ltd and 3TS and B Pty Ltd, to build a three-storey apartment block on plot 354 in John Street, which will consist of 20 dwellings and more than 20 parking spaces.

The matter will be heard by the Municipal Planning Tribunal on Wednesday, November 20.

According to the city planner used by the developer to submit plans and proposals to the metro, Charles Gibbs, the municipality has “duly considered the application and recommended the application for approval”.

Nellien Brewer, an artist and resident of the suburb for 40 years, told Rekord that one of the biggest concerns is public participation. There is no clear record of the agenda and minutes of meetings between the residents’ association, Muckleneuk/ Lukasrand Property Owners and Residents Association, and the developer.

“We are passionate about possibly stopping this development. As residents we all love the small-town feeling of this corner of Pretoria against the hill, the heritage buildings as well as the privacy afforded by the height ratios in the suburb. To bring such a high-density building into the neighbourhood would also seriously disrupt the traffic flow and create a danger to those passing in the very busy Walker Street,” said Brewer.

Muckleneuk is one of the first neighbourhoods declared in Tshwane in 1890. Residents feel that this fact, plus the topography (it is laid out against a hill), are important in planning considerations, and have not been taken into account by the developer.

The suburb is well-defined by a natural ridge to the south, and the railway line which forms a boundary between the high-density flatland on the northern side, and the lower-density residential area on the southern side.

To Brewer, it is remarkable that Muckleneuk has retained its residential character almost unchanged since its proclamation.

“Muckleneuk’s unique character reflects the various eras of development from the late 19th century to the present. Among the many historical dwellings in Muckleneuk are homes built by renowned architects such as Gerhard Moerdijk and Herbert Baker,” said Brewer.

The value of the suburb was recognised in 1993 when a team of resident professionals drew up a plan with detailed guidelines for future development.

This updated Neighbourhood Plan was submitted to the City of Tshwane this year for formal inclusion in the city’s planning framework.

The residents association’s Design Core Group thinks that when it comes to the densification of suburbs, this development doesn’t meet requirements on building height, spacing, historical view as well as density requirements.

Spokesperson Renet van Wyk said the fact that the council has approved the development and also recommended the tribunal approval even though the development doesn’t meet the council’s own rules for city planning and rezoning, is concerning.

“This should be concerning to all city residents and not only of Muckleneuk,” said Van Wyk.

She pointed out that development allows a certain lifestyle that doesn’t fit with municipal policies.

“For example, there is a metro requirement to prioritise public transport, but this development allows between 40-50 cars. This will make the neighbourhood unsafe for exercise and pedestrians. The walking infrastructure around the neighbourhood is substandard and you can’t cross any of the roads safely to walk to the shops and public transport. The recent changes around Magnolia Dell have increased traffic jams and made walking more dangerous,” emphasised Van Wyk.

She pointed out the entire development is covered including the carpark and that will increase water runoff.

“There will be flooding in Sunnyside if these kinds of development starts all over Muckleneuk,” said Van Wyk.

What concerns the residents is that they have raised these issues with the developers.

According to the Neighbourhood Plan, the impact of any new development on existing properties should be determined and evaluated in every case. Historical buildings should be protected and restored where possible. Development that will enhance the residential character of the area should be encouraged.

The area was previously marked for development in 2003, when the original Gautrain alignment was planned to literally cut through Muckleneuk, destroying something like 35 houses. This did not happen as a team of professionals from Muckleneuk worked more or less day and night to fight the proposal.

During that time, a Heritage Impact Report was done, and it noted that Muckleneuk should be protected as a precinct, instead of simply protecting individual properties.

Rekord approached the developers for comment but they indicated they would only comment once the tribunal has communicated its decision.

No comment had been received from the metro at the time of publication.

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