Clock ticking to save Capri Common from development

TIME is running out for residents and interested parties to object to a proposed 32-unit residential development on Erf 15300 in Fish Hoek, commonly known as the Capri Common.

- ERIN CARELSE

The deadline for public submissions is Thursday.

The Sunnydale Ratepayers’ Association (SRA) has submitted a formal objection to the development, calling instead for the land to be declared a no-go area, with conservation, rehabilitation and long-term management of the site.

According to the SRA, public submissions can still influence the outcome of the application.

Erf 15300 is classified as a Critical Biodiversity Area (CBA) la, the highest conservation category under the Western Cape Biodiversity Spatial Plan. Land in this category is required to be kept in a natural or near-natural state, with further habitat loss avoided.

The site supports critically endangered Hangklip sand fynbos, a vegetation type listed under the National Environmental Management: Biodiversity Act (Nemba).