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www.thevillagenews.co.za
2 December 2020
Open day to discuss Cliff Path connection The Completion of the Hermanus Cliff Path Concept for a series of linking walkways on the high water mark Our project aims to connect two separate coastal walkways across one of the town’s most scenic stretches of coastline, a region commonly known as Pooles bay. The existing cliff path, an icon of the town, follows a route from the Klein River Estuary in the East, to the New Harbour in the west, but is broken for almost 1km by thirteen linked private properties which have property rights up to the high water mark.
The full stretch of the coastline under study has been surveyed using advanced Point Cloud Survey equipment. This process produces a digitally accurate 3 dimensional matrix of points (in a cloud), ie every rock has been surveyed ! This information will become invaluable in the design development and working drawing stage of the project, where the Consultants will have full access to complex digital terrain information from the desktop.
Satelite image with the existing cliff path in red, the current detour onto main road in yellow and the proposed completion in blue.
Conceptual Principles A low visual imact on the environment using river sand and rough stone aggregate in the concrete mix, the walkway would take on a rough stone look and feel Different solutions to differing terrain low battered sections, raised balustrade sections, and sugargum bollard sections To only build on the sea side of the High Water Mark using tidal pools and harbour walls as precedent
Overall plan of new walkway at 1:200 Scale
Visualisations of the proposed walkway
Material reference images
The current detour takes walkers away from the coast to a kilometer stretch of hostile arterial road Fisherman bridge in Hermanus
Example of a weathered sugar gum bollard
Colour and texture of concrete mix
Writer De Waal Steyn
T
he Hermanus Cliff Path Action Group (CPAG) is continuing with its efforts to have the Cliff Path joined at Poole’s Bay. The group will host an open day on Saturday 5 December at The Marine Hotel from 10:00 to 13:00. Members of the public are invited to visit at any time to discuss the way forward and familiarise themselves with what is being planned. https://www.facebook.com/hermanuscliffpath
This information-sharing event is being organised even though the much-anticipated extension suffered a blow in September when the Overstrand Municipality stated that it did not have the authority to implement a rightof-way servitude across private property. Over the past three years the CPAG has been fighting to have the 12-kilometre-long Cliff Path, which runs from the New Harbour to Grotto Beach, connected at Poole’s Bay. At the moment the pathway comes to an abrupt end at Sea Road on the western side. Walkers are forced to turn away from the sea to continue walking along Main Road until the path begins again at Mickey Way near Mollergren Park Retirement Village, on the eastern side. For many years, the coastal walk between Sea Road and Mickey Way has been off limits to walkers, with parts of the way blocked by fences and signs stating that it is private property. According to CPAG, the current proposal is for a concrete pedestrian path to be built just below the highwater mark (HWM) in Poole’s Bay. It would consist of battered and balustrade sections, depending on the height above ground level, as well as the wave force in the area. “There would also be sections of varying
demarcation as some areas on the beach may only require subtle demarcation for users of the path to refrain from entering private property. The balustrade sections would be included for areas where the cliff fall is higher than 500mm, where the walkway would have a concrete balustrade with a steel grab-bar. Within the battered sections, steps would accommodate the landscape, creating paths over large rocks, while crossings would accommodate the fall and allow sea water to flow back and under the path. These gulley areas would be bridged by heavy-duty, sugar-gumbeam crossings, connected to the concrete with stainless steel threaded bars,” said the CPAG. The only material considered strong enough to withstand rough sea conditions is concrete (as for tidal pools and harbour walls). It would be finished with a rough aggregate, to encourage staining and seaweed/mussel shell growth. There would be no materials that could be damaged in high, stormy seas. CPAG said because the walk would mostly be built on the seaward side of the HWM (except for its two connection points, where it would join the existing path), there would be times when it would not be safely accessible, and appropriate signage would be required to advise the public to be aware of sea conditions before using this part of the walk. Less agile persons would also be warned of the nature of the walk and its inaccessibility to wheelchairs, because of the stepped sections and gulley crossings. In September, the municipality approved the subdivision of Erf 12257 Sea Road, or as the erf is locally known, ‘Jooste’s Big Hole’. The property made headlines after disgraced former Steinhoff CEO Markus Jooste halted construction on what was set to be a palatial home, shortly after he resigned from the company.
All that was left on the seafront erf was a large hole, rumoured to have been intended for either basement parking or a swimming pool.
assist with extending the Cliff Path in such a manner that it would be safe to walk there,” said Stassen.
According to CPAG, the Integrated Coastal Management Act makes provision for the implementation of a servitude by the municipality to allow the public free access to the ocean with each rezoning, subdivision or development approval of land adjacent to coastal public property (such as the 13 properties at Poole’s Bay). With Erf 12257 being the western access point to this part of the coastline, the subdivision application held the key to unlocking this area to the public and connecting the Cliff Path.
Following a year-long study and assessment of the issues surrounding access to the extensive Overberg coastline, from Rooiels to Cape Infanta, the Western Cape Government released a draft report at the end of September 2018. In the light of its findings, Stassen said that they were especially taken aback by the refusal of the municipality to allow for the servitude, given that Poole’s Bay was highlighted as one of 10 sites in need of immediate resolution. The status of access to Poole’s Bay is recorded in the report as “nil”.
But, said the municipality, the Act does not provide them with the authority to implement the servitude. Furthermore, there is no municipal by-law on implementing a servitude as required in terms of the Act.
According to Stassen, the Western Cape Government also indicated that the Overberg Coastal Access Audit and Pilot Study found that this stretch of coastline was identified as an area of conflict, where the public experienced limited or restricted access to the coast because property boundaries of coastal erven extended to the highwater mark.
Stephen Müller, Director of Infrastructure and Planning, said the access servitude to the remainder of the erf will be demarcated in a similar manner to that of the demarcation of public open spaces and will not inhibit pedestrians. “Safe and easy access to the coastline is achieved from the eastern side of Poole’s Bay and therefore it is not required in terms of this land to provide additional access,” states the letter. But according to Jobré Stassen of CPAG, the current servitude only allows for vehicular access to the erf and does not allow for unrestricted access to the coastal pathway. “When you now want to walk along the coast from this erf to Mollergren Park, as is your right, you must traverse very dangerous areas over and around large rocks, where you can easily trip or be trapped between the rocks and the ocean at high tide. If the servitude were in place, we would be able to facilitate and
According to Section 13 of the Integrated Coastal Management Act, restricting access by the public to the coast is a criminal offence. Furthermore, Section 18(9) of the Act obliges municipalities to ensure that provision is made to secure public access to coastal public property in conditions of approval for rezoning, subdivision, or development of a land unit. Müller said while Section 13 does make restriction a criminal offence, in this instance there is access from the eastern side. “The properties along this stretch of coast are privately owned and the municipality has no mandate to implement a servitude. The rights of the property owners are enshrined in the Constitution and we cannot act against that,” he said.
