University Estate residents oppose four-storey 'eyesore'

THE University Estate Residents' Association is fighting against the construction of a four-storey building, which it claims is going up without permission.

And the association, which is concerned at the building of houses and walls without proper plans, blames staff shortages, especially of building inspectors, and the lack of resources at the City of Cape Town's planning department for the violations.

The University Estate residents have vowed to take class action against the owner of a house in Garrick Road if work on a four-storey structure that was started without building plans is allowed to continue.

Association chair Amy Granger said that the house, which is visible from Eastern Boulevard and across the quarry, would be an eyesore.

Residents noticed the development last year and complained to the city council. It emerged that the owner had not submitted plans for the building before work started.

The city issued an order to cease work in September.

But Granger said that it appeared as if work on the house had resumed shortly before Christmas. Again, the association complained. Granger said the association refused to accept the building inspector's view that no fresh work had been done.

The house is now boarded up, pending a decision by the council on whether work should go ahead.

Granger said an independent assessor and the city council had done their own assessments of the property.

Once the city has reviewed the objections and considered the assessments, it will decide whether the owner will have to apply for a departure. The city's planning department confirmed that it was working on the issue.

Residents have dismissed the city's explanation that a house of three storeys with a basement was permitted in the suburb.

Granger said the basement was not below the ground and looked like it would be a garage. It was clearly a fourth storey.

Granger said the city council was failing to monitor building in the area. There was no inspection of the property when plans were submitted to see if they were an accurate reflection of the property.

There were also no follow-up visits to the site to see if construction matched the plans, she added.

"Someone does a rubber stamp (on the plans) in the office but there is no one to check up on them."

Although University Estate does have a dedicated building inspector, buildings are still going up without being cleared.

Granger said it was because of staff shortages at the planning department.

Till Manecke, of the Upper Woodstock Residents Association, said walls and other structures were being erected in the area that were a violation of building regulations.

There was no dedicated building inspector.

The Woodstock Residents Association is advising residents to immediately check the plans when their neighbours start building.

"If there is any problem with them, and particularly if the value of your property could be prejudiced, seek legal advice on how to put a stop to the construction work without delay," the association says on its website.

Cape Times

Posted at 09:20AM Feb 02, 2010 by Editor in Residential  |  Comments[2]