CAPE TOWN – Heritage organisations have lodged formal objections to the proposed demolition of Dagbreek Cottage, a historic building in Sunnydale, arguing that the City of Cape Town should preserve its heritage and revive the structure.

The cottage, located on Kommetjie Main Road and owned by the City, is the subject of a demolition application currently being considered by Heritage Western Cape (HWC), the provincial body responsible for making the final decision.

History

Dagbreek Cottage is a City-owned structure built before 1945, located on historic Poespaskraal land at 11 Kommetjie Main Road, Sunnydale.

The City’s Environment and Heritage Branch said they are aware of the proposed total demolition of Dagbreek Cottage and received an updated Heritage Report from the City’s associated Heritage Consultant in order to provide a comment to Heritage Western Cape (HWC) for a required Section 34 Permit for total demolition.

HWC makes the final decision regarding the demolition, the City added. Mayco member for Spatial Planning and Environment and Deputy Mayor Eddie Andrews said Dagbreek Cottage forms part of the historic cultural landscape of Sunnydale, formerly known as the farm Poespaskraal.

“The suburb of Sunnydale has its origins in a 1743 Freehold Land Grant made to Carel George Wieser. The Old Homestead (Poespaskraal) was declared a Provincial Heritage Site in 1994 (previously a National Monument),” Andrews said.

Over the years the cottage has since deteriorated and became dilapidated due to years of neglect. “In its lifetime, the cottage has had several uses and has, over the years, undergone several renovations and ad-hoc additions. It is now, unfortunately, in a derelict state,” he said.

Conserve heritage

However, Fish Hoek Valley Museum curator Sue Maude said Dagbreek Cottage was “one of the first farms in the valley” and is “well located to serve the community.”

“The valley has already lost most of its own buildings. It is time we started making a stand to preserve what is left. The valley’s history was very rural. Before the 1920s the valley was a very mixed farming community of small scale farmers. We are fast losing that rural character,” she said.

Maude adds that despite Dagbreek being “a simple farm cottage”, the City should not only preserve “fancy historic mansions, but also the history of the working class of the valley.”

“It is owned by the city. They need to be responsible and conserve our heritage, not just knock it down like private developers would,” she added.

The Fish Hoek Valley Historical Association & Friends of the Museum (FHV) are supporting Maude in her cause to preserve the cottage and submitted a formal objection towards Hearth Heritage, opposing its demolition.

In FHV’s objection letter, it said that Dagbreek Cottage “forms part of the remaining vernacular and historically built fabric of Sunnydale and contributes to the broader understanding of the area’s earlier development patterns, settlement history, and material culture.”

Over the years the cottage was utilised by the community for Sunday School activities, and commercial adaptations, FHV adds.

Cultural asset

“The proposed total demolition of the structure would result in the complete and irreversible loss of this heritage resource. The Association therefore submits this objection on heritage grounds, as demolition would be inconsistent with the conservation objectives the Association is mandated to support, and would undermine the retention of surviving historical fabric within the Fish Hoek Valley,” said FHV chair, Bev Frieslich in the objection letter.

Dagbreek Cottage is described as a component of an associated Cultural Landscape and has a 3B Grading from the City.

“A Grade 3B Heritage resource has considerable intrinsic significance in terms of the significance criteria identified by the National Heritage Resources Act. Heritage Management implications for 3B Heritage Resources are to conserve, undertake remedial action to enhance and to retain historical fabric,” said Andrews.

Maude added that building is “therefore regarded by the City’s own policies as a cultural asset deserving of safeguarding, and as such, it has a heightened duty of care.”

The FHV’s says there is currently no dedicated facility in the Valley recording the histories of Sunnydale families and other local residents who experienced forced removal during the Apartheid era.

Calls to repurpose

There are calls from the FHV to repurpose the cottage as a public heritage venue or to serve the community.

“The preserved structure could serve as a small-scale interpretive and auxiliary facility, including non-intrusive uses such as briefing, documentation, training support. The stated need for the site relates to Fire and Rescue operational and training functions, with no new permanent buildings proposed. The Association accordingly requests that HWC refuse the application for demolition and direct the City of Cape Town to pursue a conservation-led alternative that retains Dagbreek Cottage and integrates it into a functional, publicly beneficial site strategy,”

The City reiterated that HWC makes the final decision regarding the demolition and the City’s Environment and Heritage Branch only provides input and guidance on this public participation phase of the application.

People’s Post reached out to HWC for comment but they could not respond before the time of publication.

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