There will be more than a few upset residents in Clifton after the City of Cape Town approved the proposal for the sale and lease of a popular property, located right in the heart of the beachfront.

Tuesday saw a council setting vote in favour of a public tender to sell off portions of the land and lease others, the vote occurring in the face of stiff opposition. TimesLive reports:

Known as the Clifton Precinct‚ the land currently has parking garages used by Clifton bungalow owners‚ a restaurant and sports grounds.

The city wants the winning bidder to build underground parking garages. It also wants a “commercial space” for a retail business and “a limited number of boutique line shops”.

The winning bidder will operate and manage the development on a long term lease but another piece of land will be sold off for a residential development.

Representatives from both the ANC and the African Christian Democratic Party lashed out at the city’s decision, accusing them of rushing the process and ignoring the wishes of the public.

The spokesperson for Clifton Organised, Janey Ball, was also critical of the decision she said many of the residents had been dreading:

“It was evident with the speed it [the project] was at … what we were hoping for was a higher level of transparency‚” she said.

The DA insists the decision is not set in stone and there will still be scope for the public to get involved. You can bet with their backs against the wall the residents will pack a punch if the opportunity presents itself.

You have yourself a cool R25 million going spare? Welcome to the big leagues…

[source:timeslive]