Boord Belangegroep is a group of interested residents who are co-ordinating objections to the large-scale development of a new residential area next to Die Boord, beyond the urban edge. All Stellenbosch residents surely agree that we are privileged to live in this beautiful town, historically an agricultural and university town, which has generally enjoyed steady and well-planned development.
Proposed development
The proposed development consists of three housing areas marked A, B and C. A is low density, 7 houses. B is medium to high density, 510 units/houses. C is high density, 724 units
Libertas development with access roads in yellow, showing likely impact on Die Boord
Our most recent municipal spatial planning document (the municipal Spatial Development Framework or MSDF) was approved in 2019. It reiterates and prescribes many broad based and valuable planning policy goals such as promoting public transport, containing urban sprawl and preserving high value agricultural land and is carefully framed to address the needs of all Stellenbosch residents. For this reason, a primary focus of the 2019 MSDF is the Adam Tas Corridor, which allows for the development of lower cost housing and is well positioned to take advantage of public infrastructure.
Recent changes in the political and economic landscape of our country have meant that the Western Cape has increasingly come under development pressure. This has become particularly evident in our town over the last five years. Strong development pressure requires a robust regulatory environment supported by active and involved communities.
A primary source of this regulatory environment is the core principles and policies listed on page 52 of the MSDF, which can be summarised as:
- To maintain and grow our natural assets;
- To respect and grow our cultural heritage;
- To direct growth to areas of less natural and cultural significance as well as movement opportunity;
- To clarify and respect the different roles and functions of settlements;
- To clarify and respect the roles and functions of different elements of the movement structure;
- To ensure balanced, sustainable communities; and
- To focus collective energy on critical catalytic projects.
- To quote the Ward 22 objection submitted in October 2022 against the rezoning of the remainder of the farm Brandwacht No. 1049 from agriculture and rural zone to subdivisional area to permit a variety of urban land uses:
Rezoning and development proposals that do not conform to these principles and policy statements should in principle not be approved. One cannot have principles and policies and then adjust them for different situations.
This letter was submitted under the hand of Cllr Esther Groenewald, who is also the representative for Die Boord and Libertas – all of which fall under Ward 22.
The Libertas development is not aligned with multiple principles and policies of the mSDF. The applicants have attempted to argue that a deviation from these principles and policies should be allowed on a site specific basis. Not only would this represent an ad hoc deviation from the mSDF, a review of their application does not reveal any compelling evidence of such site specific merits nor does it contain any relevant information that was not already presented at the drafting and approval of the 2019 MSDF.
This makes the ostensible support for this development by the Stellenbosch Municipality not only inexplicable but also alarming.
All the pertinent information can be downloaded here. Please do so and make sure to make a formal objection to the development.
