Sea Point construction continues despite appeal victory
The demolition site of two historical buildings in St Johns Road in Sea Point as the community stands against its development and is appealing it.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
Months after residents of Sea Point celebrated their hard-fought victory in appealing against the development of a controversial block of flats, they now confront new challenges.
The City of Cape Town has confirmed that the developer is proceeding with construction under legally approved building plans for a block of flats, raising fresh concerns among the community about the future of their neighbourhood.
The concern are properties located at 29 and 31 St Johns Road, where buildings as old as sixty years once stood.
In response to the Cape Argusthis week, the developers said they were building legally.
"We are building in accordance with approved building plans, "Jeffrey Solomon, Solomon Brothers Group.
Cape Argus reported that the final appeal notification, received on December 12, 2025, stated that the appeal was upheld and the application was refused.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis, the final appeal authority, upheld the residents' appeal, overturning the Municipal Planning Tribunal (MPT) decision.
Residents had been appealing the demolition and development for months, with concerns previously reported by Cape Argus in July 2025.
In December the city confirmed the Mayor's determination to uphold the appeal, expressing relief among residents who were formally notified that their appeal against the proposed flats was upheld, setting aside the original MPT approval and refusing the application.
However, in a response to Cape Argus on the construction, the City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayco Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews, stated that the developer is within their rights to proceed: “The developer is proceeding with lawfully approved building plans which did not require property consolidation,” he said. “The Appeal Authority's refusal of the consolidation application does not invalidate the existing building plan approval, as they only addressed the consolidation, not the plans.
"Consequently, the developer may construct only what was approved for the unconsolidated properties, and the refusal does not affect the validity of the approved building plans.”
Lindsay Rogers, a resident advocating for the community, expressed shock at the ongoing construction. “Following the modest success of having our appeal against the redevelopment of a huge block of flats on St Johns Road upheld by the Mayor at the end of last year, substantial works have been initiated, with construction continuing on site, evidently driving foundation piles for a multi-storey block of flats.”
Rogers said residents from the surrounding community are left in a state of disbelief at the sight and sound of piling rigs, establishing foundations for an apartment block .
“We have never been able to gain access to the building plans for two separate blocks, despite our requests for them following the Municipal Planning Tribunal, and citing the non-provision of the same as grounds for objection at the tribunal, in terms of procedural shortcomings.”
However, Ward councillor Nicola Jowell stated the plans were made public: “The developer has approved plans from 2024 that allow for construction on each erf of a multi-level block of flats. "These plans did not trigger any departures, so a land use application was not required when the building plans were approved.
"Copies of these plans were included in the MPT report, which is a public document."
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