Blouvlei residents are waging a tug-of-war with developers planning to break soil on what has been deemed an agricultural heritage site.
Currently a narrow window period of public participation extended until 19 April will determine whether plans for a property development project will proceed.
According to the public participation notice, the development project requires the rezoning of Erf 4722 for the development of a residential property on the south of Wellington, on Blouvlei Road.
“The proposed development will consist of 55 erven as part of a conventional housing zone, one erf with split zoning used as an open space zone and a conventional housing zone, two erven used as transport zones and two erven for open space zones.”
In layman’s terms, this will occupy 25% of the agricultural heritage site that Wellingtonians believe has a lot of potential to lure more tourism to town.
This led stakeholders such as the Blouvlei Action Group to pose resistance in fear of having the “true gem of Wellington,” as Giselle Courtney puts it, be swallowed by increasing developments.
“If more and more housing goes up, the beauty of this valley will be lost, along with the rich agricultural heritage which should be treasured by the Wellington community.”
Courtney argued that this heritage overlay holds so much more potential for a booming ecotourism industry and unique offerings that only such a natural beauty can provide.
“Ecotourism holds as much economic prospects for the local economy as any other property development would.
“In my opinion, another property development will only dull the beauty this town has to offer in the Horseshoe so unique to Wellington.”
Other concerns shared by residents relate to infrastructure of roads and the potential increase in traffic which would disturb the valley’s tranquillity. Another worry is the integrity of natural water resources like the Spruit River that is currently the habitat of endangered fish species.
The beauty of the Blouvlei Village
A report sent to the Drakenstein Municipality in 2016 as published by architectural and heritage consultants ARCON, portrays the significance and sensitivity of the Blouvlei Valley as follows:
“The Blouvlei is a historic, scenic landscape strongly characterised by its intensely cultivated agricultural land – some of the earliest in the Drakenstein Valley.
“This is an area that has a landscape shaped by a long tradition of agricultural use and settlement dating back to the late 17th century.
“It has an early, tight cadastral pattern of farms and is dominated by the patterns of productive agriculture. The Blouvlei also comprises an outstanding record of the historic built environment and agricultural use within a rural context.
“It is important to emphasize that the sense of place of the Blouvlei is not only derived from its outstanding scenic attributes, but also other experiential qualities.”
The report’s author Graham Jacobs added that this include its sense of rural tranquillity and remoteness, particularly given that it is barely a few kilometres beyond the outskirts of Wellington.
The Blouvlei’s ecotourism economic value
Jacobs further explained that the economic base of the Blouvlei is focused on agricultural production with a growing diversification to include small scale tourism development.
“[This includes, but is not limited to] wine tasting, small scale restaurant facilities and domestic overnight accommodation.”
Courtney, for instance, has managed to build a business called South African Fynbos by harvesting the natural fynbos growing in the Blouvlei.
She discovered the true quality to be found on her land and has been able to sustain her unique offering as “a range of herbs and seasonings that is putting Fynbos flavours on the culinary map.”
Drakenstein Municipality awaits official reports
Acting as referee in this dispute, the Drakenstein Municipality’s Executive Director of Planning, Development and Human Settlements, Jacqui Samson, said the outcome of this tug-of-war depends on the public participation process and other pending reports.
“As part of the public participation process, objections can be lodged which will be evaluated in terms of planning principles when the planning application is evaluated.
“Both an Environmental Authorisation and a Heritage Authorisation are also required which will take the potential impact on tourism and the economy into consideration. The outcomes are being awaited.”
At this stage, Samson added, the land use application has not yet progressed to the town planning evaluation phase.
Public participation still open to Wellingtonians
If you wish to safeguard the raw picturesque beauty of the Blouvlei Village, play your part during this public participation process.
To ensure that you are identified as an interested or affected party, submit your name, contact information and interest in this matter, in addition to comments on the proposed development via email to Helene Botha: helene@groenbergenviro.co.za or Hendri Badenhorst: hendri@groenbergenviro.co.za
