The residents of Plettenberg Bay are losing their faces over the proposed development of a R4 billion small boat harbour. They’re peeved, because they say that the development will ruin the vibe of Plett, turning it into a “Little Dubai”.

This, from TimesLive:

Western Cape Marina Investments has proposed a R4-billion development on Central Beach and the Piesang River Estuary. It would comprise a yacht club, retail stores, offices, 482 residential units, 17 bungalows along the beach and a five-star hotel.

If you’re in Plett, you have until 5 February to comment on the development. If you’re an objector, you’ll be pleased to know that an organisation called the Save Plett Alliance exists, and was in fact created for the sole purpose of raining on the developers’ parade.

Basil van Rooyen, who represents the guys who don’t want the development to go ahead said:

The immediate concern for any property owner is that this will be a high-rise development that will spoil the natural beauty of the river mouth. It looks like a little Dubai. This is such a massive project, the construction period will be a minimum of four years. Most of the tourist operators, hotels, bed and breakfasts, restaurants and so on will simply go bust.

Mike Cohen,who represents the guys who want the project to go ahead, said:

There is a lot of resistance from the alliance and there is also a lot of support from the disadvantaged communities. I think we’ve got a good balance of people for and against it, which is always good for impact assessment because one takes a better decision.

So there you have it, hey.

[Source : TimesLive]