Despite nearly gale-force winds, residents from Blaauwberg, Big Bay, Table View, and Melkbosstrand gathered on Saturday 6 December at Erf 1117 to demand lawful, transparent, and safety-led planning before the City advances the Big Bay Local Spatial Development Framework (BB-LSDF). The protest was organised by the Community Representation for Blaauwberg (CRB) amid growing frustration over the City’s handling of the process.
Residents from Melkbosstrand joined the demonstration due to shared concerns about evacuation and nuclear safety linked to the nearby Koeberg nuclear power station.
Residents reject City’s defense
According to Michelle Collins, chair of CRB, City officials continue to downplay community concerns by stating the LSDF is “only a draft” and that no development applications have yet been submitted.
However, residents reject this narrative, emphasising that the draft LSDF already carries statutory weight — shaping future development envelopes, zoning, height restrictions, and infrastructure plans.
“The City cannot adopt a plan that is incomplete, contradictory, and non-compliant with nuclear safety and biodiversity laws,” said Collins.
The draft sets the framework for housing up to 25 000 additional residents inside the Koeberg Urgent Protective Action Zone (UPZ), yet no evacuation feasibility studies have been provided.
Ward councillor speaks out
In response to growing public concern and misperceptions, local Ward councillor Jonathan Mills has taken to Facebook, posting a series of videos to explain the LSDF project in detail.
In these videos, Mills aims to clarify the City’s intentions, outline the statutory role of the draft plan, and address safety and environmental concerns raised by residents. Despite his efforts to engage and inform the community, some residents remain skeptical, citing ongoing frustration with the City’s transparency and consultation process.
Evacuation feasibility must come first
Central to residents’ concerns is the City’s failure to provide the Traffic Evacuation Model (TEM) or any evidence that current or future populations can be evacuated safely in an emergency. The CRB insists that feasibility must be demonstrated before densification planning proceeds, not deferred to a later stage, which residents argue is unlawful and contradicts both the Disaster Management Act and the Municipal Planning By-Law.
Further concerns include reports that over 80% of public comments received no acknowledgement or reference number from the City, raising questions about whether submissions are properly recorded or processed.
Residents also highlighted the threat to the environment, noting the draft LSDF proposes developments over confirmed Critical Biodiversity Areas (CBA1a), wetlands, and Ecological Support Areas (ESA1), in direct contradiction with the City’s Biodiversity Spatial Plan (BSP 2025) and independent studies.
“Our protest demonstrated what the City cannot ignore: this community is informed, organised, and united,” said Collins. “We will not accept a planning framework that hides evacuation data, dismisses formal submissions, or sidelines the public through a compromised process. This is a matter of lawful planning, safety, and transparency.”
Community voices and next steps
At the protest, residents expressed frustration over the City’s disregard for their input, vague responses, and failure to address critical issues such as nuclear safety, environmental protection, and infrastructure capacity.
“The CRB continues its Change.org petition calling for the LSDF to be suspended and redrafted,” Collins said.
Residents have until Friday 12 December to submit comments to blaauwberg.districtsdf@capetown.gov.za or erf1117comments@gmail.com
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