If you’ve been following the story about the proposed developments along the so-called Clifton Precinct (an area between Clifton and Camps Bay) you’ll know this week was a rather important one.

Cape Town councillors voted yesterday on the plans to develop the prime coastal land and the majority have approved going to tender. The ANC, EFF and FF Plus objected but they were outnumbered by those voting in the affirmative. Here’s Fin24:

Deputy Mayor Ian Neilson said during the full sitting that many had questioned the city’s intentions and processes.

“It was very clear for me that the whole area around Maiden’s Cove and Clifton has been in a degraded state. It did not receive adequate attention from the city for many decades,” he said.

He denied the city was in a rush and said they had been talking to the public since January this year…

ANC councillors Jerimia Thuynsma and Xolani Sotashe said residents were not in favour of the plans.

“This development is nothing but an attempt to gentrify… Clearly this is nothing else but an attempt by the DA to do a public legal land grab,” Thuynsma charged.

Mayor Patricia de Lille countered those arguments by saying that public participation would be factored into many of the upcoming processes.

It’s worth noting that of the 14 hectares that make up the tendered area four are intended for development and 10 are set aside for recreational parks.

[source:fin24]