MOSSEL BAY NEWS - The plan for a housing development near a watercourse in Voorbaai, Mossel Bay, has been adjusted, so there will be eight fewer houses in the development. 

The original plan was for 103 houses for the proposed Eagle Creek development at Vogelsang Landgoed. 

There was an outcry from hundreds of people on the Mossel Bay Advertiser Facebook site and Mosselbaai Staan Saam, also a Facebook site, opposing the development near the watercourse, classified us ecologically sensitive, susceptible to flooding and home to indigenous vegetation, antelope and other animals and birds.

An online petition against the housing scheme, No to Eagle Creek, on ipetitions, has been signed by more than 400 people. 

A key concern, raised in a meeting of Vogelsang Landgoed and Twee Kuilen housing complex representatives with Ward 7 councillor Stephan Botha on 13 March, is the impact the increased population will have on the already highly congested roads in Voorbaai. 

Letter 

In a letter on 14 March to "landowners or occupants" from Sharples Environmental Services (SES), which is handling a new public participation process on behalf of the developer, it was noted that "a minimum of 15 metres between the erf boundaries and the 1:100 year floodline was determined and recommended by the aquatic specialist". 

Therefore "eight houses had to be removed from the approved layout". 

The amendment must be brought to the attention of potential and also registered interested and affected parties (I&AP), so they can be part of a public participation process, the letter noted. 

People must register as an I&AP in order to comment and they have until 17 April to comment. 

To register as an I&AP and/ or to send comments, send your full name, contact details, preferred method of contact and any direct business, financial, personal or other interest you may have, to Lu-anne de Waal at Sharples (luanne@sescc.net). 

Call Sharples (044 873 4923) if you have any questions. 

A notice about the new public participation process was published in the Advertiser last week. 

The environmental impact report can be downloaded from the SES website, www.sescc.net, under the "public documents" section. 

Vogelsang Landgoed residents that the Advertiser spoke to after they had received the letter about the revised plan for Eagle Creek, said they would continue to oppose the development.

The notice from Sharples Environmental Services at the entrance to Vogelsang Landgoed.

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