STOP THE 40 LION STREET DEVELOPMENT!
The Bo-Kaap is under threat again, this time from a new 12-storey, 70-unit predominantly upper income development by BLOK developers.
The proposed new development at 40 Lion St, seen in context next to the historic neighbouring buildings on the street. The car ramp and retaining walls of this proposed development appear to be as high as the roofline of the neighbouring houses.
UPDATE: As of 14th December 2017, the building plan application for the original 55 unit development, Reference #70361357, has been REJECTED by Transport Planning. It has been REJECTED by Heritage. It is currently stuck in the Water Department. We have an excellent opportunity to STOP this development!
This proposed development is located on the narrow, 1 to 2-storey historic Lion Street at the top of the Bo-Kaap. This over-scaled and insensitive development will completely destroy this special corner of the Bo-Kaap, increasing barriers, undermining social and cultural cohesion and eroding the irreplaceable historic urban fabric.
The proposal is currently not subject to restrictions from the various Heritage bodies that protect historic urban fabric as the pending Heritage Protection Overlay Zone (HPOZ) that will protect the Bo-Kaap has been stalled inside the City of Cape Town for almost 2 years. As such, inappropriate development is being bulldozed through the Cape Town City Council, at great cost to Cape Town’s residents and future generations. This is not in the public interest.
We urgently call on the City of Cape Town as city custodians to put a moratorium on all developments in the Bo-Kaap until the HPOZ layer is finalised.
The deadline for objections was Thursday 14th December 2017.