Affordable housing project for Southport
It seems the scheme is not a rumour after all.
A PROPOSED affordable housing scheme is on the cards for Southport. A public meeting regarding the project was held recently and the South Coast Herald believes that 550 units are proposed for the 88 hectare farm situated inland from Southport. It’s also believed that each 80m2 house would sell for between R400 000 and R600 000.
Community members and farmers asked Hibiscus Coast Municipality (HCM) to communicate with them and put to rest any rumours currently doing the rounds. They say when they approached the municipality for answers when they first heard about the project a month ago, they received no response.
When the Herald asked Max Mbili, HCM’s municipal manager about the proposed housing project, he confirmed that it was not a rumour.
“The municipality went out on tender looking for suitable pieces of land in order to build houses as we have a backlog on housing provision,” he said.
He added that Nithia Chetty, like other landowners, had submitted his proposal to the municipality. This was then accepted, pending conclusion of all logistics including – but not limited to – the valuation of his land. He went on to say negotiations with Mr Chetty had not yet been concluded.
Mr Mbili said they don’t have a problem engaging with anyone who wants to discuss this development after conclusion of the negotiations. “The matter is between the municipality and Mr Chetty at this point in time,” he added.
The farmland in question borders on Edward Avenue and St Johns Avenue, with the only road access being Abelia Crescent.
At the meeting, concerns were raised by both the farmers and ratepayers about the possibility of traffic congestion, the added strain on electricity and water supplies, and the fact that if sewerage systems were not correctly
installed, effluent was likely to drain into nearby rivers, dams and wetlands.
Concerns were also raised about Southport’s small police station and the HCM Fire and Rescue Department’s ability to cope with the influx of residents to the area.
Some questioned why the community had not been informed about the project which has been in the pipeline since 2012, and where the money for a project of this scale would come from.
