The application for a five-year temporary land-use departure to permit the grounds formerly occupied by the Claremont Bowling Club to be used for a 4×4 off-road adventure park has been refused.
During a Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) meeting held on Tuesday 25 January the panel, “after some discussion”, turned down the application.
Four reasons for the decision were outlined in the minutes of the meeting, the first being “the possible negative impact in respect of noise and dust far outweighs the social benefit of the proposed temporary use”.
Secondly, the minutes stated that the proposal, while unique, and temporary in nature, “is incompatible with the surrounding land uses and will have a significant negative impact on surrounding properties”.
It went on to say that the proposal could impact negatively on the safety, health and well-being of the surrounding community and that the MPT was not satisfied that the conditions imposed will sufficiently mitigate the negative impact of the proposal.
People’s Post first reported on the plans to convert the vacant property in Bowwood Road, Claremont, into a 4×4 trail two years ago (“4×4 trail plan gears up”, People’s Post, 8 September 2020).
Already then, Rashaad Carlsen, the lessee of the property, shared that the service providers contracted to work on the project were standing by and would get to work as soon as the City of Cape Town granted approval.
This is also when Carlsen’s lease, which he signed in 2019 with the Claremont Beneficiary Trust (the owners of the property), would officially take effect.
The proposed plan has had both its supporters and detractors. In the past, the Upper Claremont Residents’ and Ratepayers’ Association (UCRRA) confirmed its wish to support and work with the trust and the temporary 4×4 developer in the development of the site, stating that the short-term occupation of the site would assist in solving the significant safety and security issue that exists on the property (“Drive for City-4×4-trail”, People’s Post, 22 September 2020).
Many Claremont residents, however, believed that instead of solving one problem, it would create many others (“Residents weigh in on park”, People’s Post, 20 October 2020). General concerns included that the 4×4 trail would convert the green space into a noisy dust bowl and that 4×4 vehicles would clog up the surrounding streets. Others felt that this would be an inappropriate use of valuable urban land in a residential area.
When People’s Post spoke to Carlsen last week, he said he was gobsmacked by the MPT’s decision to refuse the application.
According to Carlsen, the MPT meeting was just supposed to be a formality. He said that, prior to the meeting, a professional town planner, engaged to submit the application on his behalf, had received conditional approval from the City of Cape Town.
“We expected the MPT to ratify the City’s decision, but for some bizarre reason, they went against the recommendation. They (the City) sent me the conditional approval. We were happy for it and we sent an email back to the case officer. We didn’t even request to be part of the MPT meeting, to make a formal presentation, because we believed it was just a formality.”
Having invested two-and-half years in this project, Carlsen says he is not giving up yet.
“We are appealing to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis to review the decision. We have asked for a meeting with the mayor to present our case ourselves and are waiting for a time. Then we will have this matter resolved once and for all,” he says.
