Plans in place to transform shabby Shelly Beach property into tea garden
It is hoped the project will be completed in around two months' time.
The massive piles of rubble next to Marine Drive in Shelly Beach may be an eyesore to many, but developer Errol Milton (70) says he has a plan up his sleeve.
After fielding several complaints, the Herald visited the site on Monday this week to find out what exactly Mr Milton had in mind.
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He explained that he was developing the property for his brother, Michael, adding that he hoped the project would be completed in around two months’ time.
“We thought it would take three years to complete but so many people have brought us rubble in the last six or seven months that we are significantly ahead of schedule,’ he said.
“Much of the rubble has come from the building of the new hospital, and the plan is to level the site, cover it with sand, grass it and build a tea garden.”
Mr Milton, who has been in the development game for some 50 years, said he had been visited by officials from the department of road and transport and the department of environmental affairs, as well as by Ward 3 councillor, Paul Brauteseth.
“I even received a letter from the department of environmental affairs, ordering me to cease work as they claimed it was affecting the waterway.
“I hand-delivered a written response, pointing out that I am dumping three metres within my boundary so there is no way I am disrupting the waterway, which supposedly runs through the bottom right of the property.”
However, Mr Milton did point out that he had stopped accepting rubble as he now had plenty to work with.
He also plans to fill right to the edge of the road.
“There have been so many accidents on this stretch of road that not only have I planned to fill the ditch so that it is flush with the road, I have also asked the roads department to extend the barrier once we are finished to hopefully make the road safer for motorists.”
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