Plans to develop a hotel and shopping centre on the site of what is now the Sea Point promenade have sparked a massive, organised campaign against it.

The promenade is one of the few remaining open spaces left in Cape Town. It's a safe, free, well-used site that is popular with joggers, pram-pushers, dog-walkers, families and people who like a walk with a sea view at the beginning or end of a day. Unusual for a city that is still very divided this is one of the few spaces that is racially mixed.

The campaign, Seafront for All (SEAFA), have thus far organised successful protests in response to the approval of the project by by Environment, Planning and Economic Development MEC Tasneem Essop. SEAFA also handed over a memorandum with over 12 000 signatures against the proposed development to a council official.

The SEAFA executive committee is headed by Bennie Rabinowitz, a well known Sea Point businessman and philanthropist and includes representatives of the Green and Sea Point Ratepayers’ Association. The group, that regularly contacts Ward Councillor J P Smith, is joined by some doughty fighters, all of whom have opposed the scheme since inception.

SEAFA objects to the development of the promenade on the following grounds:

  • The rationale for the development has fallen away. Since 1998 the problematic promenade buildings have been demolished, the swimming pool complex has been refurbished and crime is no longer a problem. The promenade, as it is now, is more popular than ever and the open spaces are extensively utilised. The need for a redevelopment of the Sea Point Pavilion therefore no longer exists.

  • Parking. Sea Point Beach Road has severe parking problems at the best of times and an almost intolerable parking shortage in season. The new development proposes reducing part of the public parking to accommodate the intended building. This will exacerbate the current under-provision of public parking and effectively cedes public space to a commercial development.

  • Economic feasibility. The proposal for this development was based on the assumption that Sea Point would benefit from the creation of a new economic hub. At the time of the proposal call, businesses in Sea Point Main Road were suffering from unfavourable economic conditions. However, in the intervening nine years businesses in Sea Point have benefited from significant developments in Main Road, St John’s Piazza among them, and the entire economic climate in the area has changed. Rather than benefitting Sea Point SEAFA believes the proposed development would harm the businesses in Main Road by dividing the existing clientele. In fact, SEAFA fears it will undo the economic regeneration that has taken place in the area.

  • Loss of open space. The proposed development would lead to a loss of extensively utilised and scarce urban open space. This will not only impact on the Sea Point community, but on all users of the open space.

  • No benefit to the community. SEAFA believes the community does not stand to benefit from the project in the long-term. They have significant concerns about the utility and feasibility of the proposed project. The proposed hotel would reserve a large part of the current open space for the use of a privileged few.

  • Lack of transparency. SEAFA bemoans the general lack of transparency with the award of the tender to On Track Developments (Pty) Ltd. They allege that the officials involved speak out of two mouths and that none of the large developers in Cape Town tendered for the project leading to a perception that the proposal was not properly published. Concerns also exist regarding the manner in which the appeals against the Environmental Impact Assessment were dealt with by the Minister.

  • Thin end of the wedge. SEAFA warns against clear indications that precedents created by the proposed development would lead to the development of all the land presently zoned ‘Public Open Space’.

SEAFA has already engaged the services of a top South African law firm, eminent senior and junior counsel, a consulting town and regional planner and environmental consultants. SEAFA will, initially, take the decision from Minister Essop to give environmental approval for the project on review in the High Court. SEAFA will also engage the City and Province to ensure the public open space will not be rezoned. Preliminary indications from SEFA’s legal team are that they have a good prospect of being successful.

Do you support SEAFA in their quest to keep the Sea Point promenade open to the public? Are you fearful this development will lead to other open areas being lost forever? If so, help SEAFA by signing the petition.