Anticipated upgrades to the Sea Point Promenade and Granger Bay parking areas, a project valued at R41 million, are currently at a standstill.
This development, or lack thereof, has been attributed to the contractor’s slow progress and has created uncertainty about the project’s completion timeline.
Initially launched in May last year, the project aimed to enhance the beachfront with several key upgrades.
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According to the Cape Argus, the plan included the refurbishment of Granger Bay’s parking facilities, the construction of a rock revetment and a new play park on Fort Road.
The addition of walkways, the planting of coastal vegetation and lawns, the installation of interpretive signage to provide heritage information and public art installations at the Sea Point Library were among the other planned enhancements.
With a completion target of June this year, the development was set to introduce two new walkways linking the promenade to Beach Road and another play park, enriching the area’s appeal.
Sea Point ward councillor, Nicola Jowell, has had several discussions with both the contractor and the project manager, addressing not only the slow progress but also concerns regarding occupational health and safety.
Despite early warnings to the contractor about the pace of work, issues persisted, leading to discussions about the termination of the contract and the activation of a contingency plan.
‘Early in the project last year, the City’s project manager started raising the issue of the slow work rate with the contractor and formal notification of this was also issued last year,’ she explained. ‘At the close of work last year, there was also an occupational health and safety issue raised on the site.’
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She said that the Parks Department’s top priority in recent weeks has been to restore the irrigation system, which has been damaged.
She added, ‘As soon as the legalities of the contract termination are done, they will put in place the contingency plan.’
Councillor Jowell acknowledged that this is, of course, the news that no one wants to hear and that everything has been done behind the scenes in recent months to try to prevent this and get the contractor to correct the contractual breaches.
Deputy mayor and spatial planning Mayco member Eddie Andrews attributed the setbacks to contractor performance issues that were not anticipated. Efforts are underway to resolve these challenges and resume work on the project, which remains partially open to the public.
‘The City’s project management team is actively working with the contractor to address these issues and expedite progress,’ he said. ‘We are committed to getting the project back on track as soon as possible. The public may make use of the portions of the beach that are not cordoned off.’
The delay has sparked concern among local stakeholders, including Lester September, deputy chairperson of the Greater Cape Town Civic Alliance, who pointed out the vulnerability of public funds and the broader implications for community upgrades across the metro.
The establishment of an independent compliance office within the City manager’s office has reportedly been suggested as a measure to ensure adherence to regulations and service agreements.
‘The sooner we have such an independent compliance office that will undertake compliance checks, the better,’ said September.
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Picture: Karabo Mdluli / Unsplash