There are at least 160 buildings in Cape Town that are derelict or in such bad condition that they pose a danger to residents and many of them are over-crowded crime havens according to Nathan Ladgourdie of Cape Town’s problematic building unit.
He says the main focus is on those buildings in residential areas that pose a threat to other members of the community. The unit was formed in December last year to focus on derelict or run-down buildings that contravene the fire and health regulations in the city.
Senator Park is one such building that has been at the centre of an investigation in the past six weeks and is known to be a crime haven. He says the unit is closely monitoring the situation at Senator Park after the building’s body corporate was granted the right to evict tenants and refurbish the building.
Ladgourdie claims that the city has already taken action against owners of buildings that are in a run-down state demanding that these buildings be repaired and that they comply with the city’s bylaws.
Other problematic buildings included the San Remo building in Camp Street, Gardens where a number of drug raids have recently been conducted. The building was investigated by the council and found to contravene several health and fire regulations.
The owners of the building have subsequently decided to sell it and it is due to go on auction later this month.
The derelict building at 17 Coleridge Road in Salt River has now been boarded and bricked up by the city and is standing vacant while the owners of the building at 13 Torrens Road have been served with a compliance notices demand that the building be repaired. Apparently this building has also now been sold.
A building at 14 Fourth Street Heathfield is being demolished and the property cleaned after the city served compliance notices on the owners while a building in Vrystaat Street, Paarden Eiland is also being repaired after compliance notices were served on its owners.
Ladgourdie says that this is just a small sample of the many buildings that are being investigated, but that as the council issues compliance notices so the owners react and either dispose of the building, demolish it or comply with the council’s orders.
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