In just a matter of a few days, work on the Small Bay wall project will begin, much to the disapproval of some residents.
The proposed construction of a 1 m concrete wall in front of Small Bay Beach in Bloubergstrand caused a massive public outcry last year.
TygerBurger reported about residents claiming the wall will destroy the view of the beach and coastline.
Ward councillor Paul Swart says he welcomes the commencement of the project and speedy conclusion.
Just last month, Small Bay Beach had been closed due to sewage leaks, a “normal” occurrence in this area.
Swart says this first phase will assist in ending the the sewage leaks experienced in recent times when strong high tides damaged the sewer line on a number of occasions.
“The current vulnerability of the sewerage line there was very much a major part of the reason for the project,” he says.
The City of Cape Town says during the upgrade, the public will not be able to access the beach from Small Bay Park, neither the parking area adjacent to the park for the duration of the project. Pelegrini Street will be open to residents only.
“We are upgrading the coastal infrastructure at Small Bay to protect coastal properties and important services infrastructure from wave overtopping and flooding. Presently, the existing sewer line is vulnerable to coastal processes and at risk of collapsing. We will, therefore, re-route the sewer line landward, away from the sea wall.
“The existing sea wall will be reconstructed from Small Bay Park along Pelegrini and Popham Streets, up to Ferguson Street. The City’s coastal engineers have done a lot of work to ensure we build a wall of high quality that will mitigate the overtopping volumes and associated risk to damage and safety. All of this work is done as part of our forward planning to protect our coastline and adjacent assets from the impact of climate change, powerful storms, and other dynamic coastal processes,” says the City’s deputy mayor and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, Eddie Andrews.
The project
The project entails the following:
- If all goes as planned, the work will commence in the second week of February and should be completed by September 2024.
- The existing sea wall will be reconstructed from Small Bay Park, along Pelegrini and Popham Streets to Ferguson Street; all-in-all, a section of about 190 m.
- The sea wall will be a robust structure to withstand the forces of nature while retaining public access and pedestrian movement, and with a minimum impact on sea views.
- The existing sewer line will be rerouted landward, away from the sea wall, from the park to the De Mist ablution building.
- The reconstruction of Pelegrini and Popham Streets along the sea wall.
Public participation
The project will be done in phases and while ongoing, the public will not be able to access the beach from Small Bay Park. Access to the parking area adjacent to the park will be restricted.
Only residents will have access to Pelegrini Street. Signage will inform the public as such.
The City’s project team engaged with impacted residents in 2020 and 2021, as well as last year, and a public briefing was hosted in February 2022.
