Suburban
THE City of Harare has granted permission to Teviotdale Investments (Private) Limited to build four blocks of flats on its stand in Vainona but residents with properties in the area are opposed to the housing project.
Suburban Reporter
Teviotdale Investments has since written to residents with properties adjoining its stand seeking their views and comments regarding the socio-economic and environmental impact of the proposed flats.
“The developer, Teviotdale Investments (Private) Limited, has been granted a permit by City of Harare (Permit Number C/WR/822 dated 4 March 2022) to construct four blocks of low rise flats with three storeys each on their consolidated Stand 615 Vainona Township (47 and 49 Edinburgh Road/Corner Plym Road) which is adjacent to your property.
“The developer intends to comply with conditions of the permit which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Certificate in accordance with the provisions of the Environmental Management Act CAP 20:27. As part of the EIA process key stakeholders and people likely to be directly or indirectly impacted by the development have to be consulted.
“Therefore, on behalf of the developer, you have been identified as one of the key stakeholder/s to this proposed project. We therefore seek your views and comments regarding the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the proposed project.
“Kindly respond to the questionnaire attached. Please find enclosed two diagrams depicting the proposed development. If you have any queries, contact the undersigned.
Former Ward 17 Councillor Bernard Manyenyeni
“Yours sincerely John H. Manley Director,” read the letter from ARACRUZ Investments, who are town planning and environmental impact assessment consultants hired by Teviotdale Investments to conduct the EIA.
Vainona residents have been expressing their views on the proposed Jacaranda Heights Flats with some opposed to the development while others welcomed it.
Those opposed to the development said they will form a committee to fight the project as they want it stopped before it even starts.
However, those in support of the flats project said they had no problems with the development because it was actually a good thing for Vainona as a suburb because if no development takes place in the suburb it would become like a high density area.
But those against the development said the new flats would worsen the problems in Vainona such as power cuts and lack of water supplies from council because the flats would result in more families relying on the already overstretched infrastructure in Vainona.
They gave the examples of problems flat dwellers in the Avenues area, in Eastlea and Avondale were facing and implored fellow residents to check the extent of the challenges being faced in the three neighbourhoods.
Those in favour of the new flats argued that they did not want old and dilapidated buildings as well as potholes on the roads in Vainona.
But some did not see how a concentration of high rise flats was a development that would turn Vainona into a top class residential area. They questioned the idea of viewing the building of apartments in Vainona as development urging fellow residents to check how the once pristine cluster of apartments built at the corner of Simon Muzenda and Herbert Chitepo as well those adjacent to Five Avenue Shopping Centre had deteriorated.
Another group of residents felt that before the proposed flats are built the developers must fix the water reticulation system and electricity infrastructure. They said they did not mind low cluster flats but were definitely opposed to three storey flats.
Former Ward 17 Councillor and Harare Mayor Mr Bernard Manyenyeni advised residents that the current sitting Ward 17 Councillor Jacob Mafume must sign off such developments before they take place.
Residents said Vainona was a low density suburb and should not be overcrowded in the name of “development and modernisation”.
