An application for the relocation of an existing casino to the Helderberg has been submitted to authorities and locals are urged to have their voice heard on the matter.
Helderbergers are being granted the opportunity to submit their objections and comments in light of the recent application to relocate Caledon Casino, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Tsogo Sun Gambling Investments and licenced casino operator, from the Overberg to Somerset West. The public participation period runs until this Friday (11 August), with objections and comments to be submitted no later than 16:00 on the day.
The site for the proposed location and development is situated within the urban area and on Portion 29 of Farm 794, which previously formed part of the Somerset West Golf Course.
DistrictMail & Helderberg Gazette previously reported on the possibility of Somerset West becoming home to a casino in 2018, following the proposed rezoning of the tract of land on the corner of the N2 and R102.
The land-use application was to rezone a portion of the vacant land from Open Space 3 to Subdivisional Area Overlay Zone, with underlying rights for General Business 3 Zone and Utility Zone. The leftover portion will remain Open Space Zone 3. The land is envisioned to be subdivided into five portions, which will house a casino, multilevel parking garage and a 120-room hotel.
The application was officially approved by the Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) on 27 August 2018. However, following appeals received by council against the MPT’s decision, the application served before the City’s final Appeal Authority on 29 July 2020.
According to Eddie Andrews, deputy mayor and Mayoral Committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, the City of Cape Town considered the application and made a decision based on all the information submitted as part of the process.
“This included among others socioeconomic, traffic and environmental impact assessments,” he said. “The land-use rights are therefore in place to construct a casino.”
Final notification of the approval was issued on 30 July 2020. The approval is still valid and will lapse on the same date five years later.
Local ward councillors Gregory Peck and Carl Punt jointly stated that the current public participation period is granted by the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board (WCGRB) for an application to move the casino licence from the Overberg to Somerset West.
“Any objections must be sent to the WCGRB [in writing] at objections.licensing@wcgrb.co.za, as advertised. The City’s mandate is to manage the land-use and rezoning; it does not control the licensing of any casino. The 120-room hotel will attract many tourists to our area and, as we know, every tourist creates work for four individuals.”
The WCGRB confirmed the application by one of five casino licence holders in the province was received last December. The application was advertised in the Provincial Gazette on Friday 14 July and print publications Die Burger (14 July), Cape Times (14 July), DistrictMail & HelderbergGazette (Wednesday 19 July), EikestadNuus (Thursday 20 July), Hermanus Times (Wednesday 19 July) and Suidernuus (Friday 21 July).
Its success depends on the following aspects, among others: fiscal and community benefits and implications of the relocation; broader economic benefits such as tourism, job creation and capital influx to the area and province; social, religious, educational and cultural implications; and the defined exclusivity zone.
An email enquiry submitted to the Tsogo Sun group went unanswered at the time of going to print.
