The proposed redevelopment of the former De Mond Caravan Park in Voëlklip can move into its next phase after a High Court application challenging the tender award and lease agreement was withdrawn on 29 August.
The withdrawal clears the way for Point Caravan Resort (Pty) Ltd to proceed with the required town-planning applications for the site. “However, no development can proceed until the necessary planning approvals have been obtained and the required public-participation process has taken place,” said the acting municipal manager of the Overstrand Municipality, Edward Jantjies.
Twenty months on hold
The legal challenge was launched in December 2024 by Ms E. de Kock, who sought to have both the tender award and lease agreement set aside. The application remained a barrier to the development process for about 20 months, from December 2024 until its withdrawal in August 2026.
“During that period, Point Caravan Resort could not reasonably be expected to incur development costs while the tender award and lease agreement were being challenged,” Jantjies said. “The withdrawal now allows the company to take the next steps by submitting the relevant applications.”
A long-standing eyesore
The future of the site is being watched closely by Voëlklip residents. The property lies near the Klein River Lagoon Mouth and has stood vacant and neglected for more than a decade, becoming a prominent eyesore on a prime stretch of the neighbourhood.
The Caravan Park Association’s lease expired in 2012 and about 200 families had been evicted by 2014. Since then, the property has frequently been targeted by vandals, vagrants and illegal occupiers. Residents have repeatedly complained about the derelict appearance of the site, which has been a blight on the Voëlklip landscape for over a decade.
Earlier efforts to secure a future for the property also failed. Atterbury Western Cape’s 2010 tender was unsuccessful, while a lease signed with Crown Grant JV (Pohl Group) in March 2018 later lapsed after its suspensive conditions were not met.
Tender and lease details
The current tender was advertised on 29 July 2022 and awarded to Point Caravan Resort on 4 March 2024. A 45-year lease agreement was signed in July 2024 and approved by Council on 25 September 2024.
The lease provides for a monthly rental of R117 735,80, including VAT, and allows the lessee a two-year period to obtain the necessary approvals and commence development.
What happens next
“The Municipality will provide information on the proposed development once the relevant applications have been received and the public-participation process has been initiated. Members of the public will have an opportunity to comment once a valid land-use application has been submitted. That process is triggered by the relevant planning applications and must take place before any development can proceed. What may ultimately be developed and operated on the site will depend on the approvals obtained through the planning process,” Jantjies concluded.
