Residents of Constantia’s rural Strawberry Lane area want to

• Author: Karen Watkins karen.watkins@inl.co.za
• Published date: 24 March 2022
• Publication title: Constantiaberg Bulletin

Deputy mayor and mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment Eddie Andrews has confirmed that the greenbelt, which has Pagasvlei River running through it, between Strawberry Road and Willow Lane is privately owned

Schumacher Real Estate bought the L-shaped site in September for R20 million. The company’s owners are German former racing driver Ralf Karl-Heinz Schumacher and Peter Tauber. They own the neighbouring five-star luxury retreat Villa Coloniale and Villa Lion View in Price Drive.

According to ward councillor, Emile Langenhoven, the land has a split zoning of single residential 1 (SR1) and open space 2 (OS2), and the open-space zoning could have been for conservation purposes and not necessarily to allow public access. We asked the City for clarity on what is permitted under OS2, and what is not, but they did not respond.

There was no evidence to suggest the zoning was a mistake and the previous owner had been advised to apply for rezoning, not for a zoning “correction”, Mr Langenhoven said, adding: “The file was closed at that point as no further...