Plans to upgrade the Table View beachfront have been approved, according to the City of Cape Town.
The project, which includes a new four-metre wide walkway, is set to start at the end of next year and be completed by the beginning of 2024, says Marian Nieuwoudt, the mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment.
Ms Nieuwoudt said that based on a traffic study earlier this year, it was proposed that existing beachfront parking be “reconfigured” to accommodate the walkway. However, it was not clear what she meant by that as she did not respond to a follow-up question by time of publication.
The new promenade will stretch from White Waters Road to Marine Circle where it will merge with the existing walkway to Dolphin Beach.
The Table View Ratepayers’ Association has been calling for beachfront improvements for several years (“Beachfront in need of attention,” says TVRA”, Tabletalk, March 23, 2016).
The project would include rehabilitation work on the sand dunes, said Ms Nieuwoudt.
“The rehabilitation will reduce the impact of wind-blown sand on adjacent infrastructure. The aim is to provide a soft interface between the beach and infrastructure and to provide a buffering from coastal processes. The restoration work will also include repairs to broken pavement edges and damaged boardwalks and railings, new ablution facilities and pedestrian access points, as well as the recreational facilities,” she said.
Blouberg resident Ross Kamper welcomed the announcement. “We have been waiting for something like this to happen because we don’t want to see our area deteriorating,” he said. “I’m happy about this news even though I wish work could start immediately. We are a big tourist attraction area, so we need the place to look decent.”
But, Kathryn Muller, of Table View, suspects the announcement is motivated more by politics than anything else.
“This is an election year so I’m not surprised this announcement was made. I expect them to make more and more announcements of this nature. They will start telling people about projects that they should have done years ago. I’m not excited about this.”
Ms Nieuwoudt said there was a great need for a continuous promenade in Table View and Blouberg.
“Many residents and visitors are walking along the beachfront but often have to navigate their way through the current parking and on narrow verges. This does not promote pedestrian road safety nor does it provide consistent use of the coastline as is the case along many other beaches in Cape Town. As such, it was decided to add the walkway to the project,” she said.
Ms Nieuwoudt said the City would hold a public-participation process at a later date.
Ward councillor Nicky Rheeder said she was very excited about the project.
“We are moving closer and closer to getting spades in the ground. There has already been a year of planning and assessments and studies in preparation for the project,” she said.
