A Newlands man has started a website to name and shame greedy developers and architects who ruin neighbourhoods with unrestrained and insensitive development. Its creator, Simon Mantell wants to create a groundswell of opinion so that unhappy owners have the wherewithal to contest such developments. This means that pressure will be applied to the Council planning department; architects responsible for offending structures will be named and shamed and the professional governing body for architects will be asked to appropriately discipline errant architects.
Homeowners should realise the following that they have rights in terms of our Constitution; that they pay top dollar rates and must expect the Council to provide a service concomitant with such rates paid and that it is not reasonable when the Council takes the line of least resistance in approving plans. The issue of views has come to the fore with a number of cases, see Gregory J Paola v Jaivadan Jeeva NO & Others and Clark v Farraday and Another and the related GhostDigest articles A room with a view and View battle ends.
Threatenedhomes website
Threatened homes
Reader Comments:
I want to congratulate Mr Simon Mantell for taking action and standing up for his rights! With the property market being as it is lately - people need to be made aware of the fact that there are unethical developers and architects out there. I too am in the process of fighting tooth and nail with our local council and the developer of our complex as he is building a double storey unit, contrary to what we were lead to believe when we purchased, right next door to us.
This unit will now obstruct our entire sea view, which we were promised by the same developer on purchase; is not in keeping with the surrounding development and is incongruent; has a total area of 318.18 square meters on a stand of 411 square meters; is raised by 2 meters therefore not in accordance with the natural gradient of the land; placed right on the boundary of all 3 neighbours in order to gain two sea views at the expense of our one; encroaches on everyones privacy; and is in fact the developers OWN home!!! All this for his personal gain - at the degrogation of the surrounding properties.
More people need to come forward so that something can be done about such unethical behaviour - not to mention that the councils need to start fending for the home owners as opposed to the developers!
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