Source : IOL
While the City of Cape Town plans to build high-density housing in the Melkbos area, they are forcing the animal rescue centre, Fallen Angels Pet Rescue off their privately owned land, citing zoning regulations and their proximity to Koeberg power station as their reason.
The decision by the City of Cape Town has left Fallen Angels Pet Rescue facing the daunting task of relocating its entire animal care centre within 90 days.
Gayle Basson and her co-founders, Shireen and late Lilian Williams established the organisation in 2010.
Basson purchased the land in 2014 as she had witnessed other animal welfare organisations being evicted from land they were renting.
At the time she was advised that land was zoned for agricultural use, however, as it was over 20 hectare they would be able to set up the animal rescue facility.
They were served a compliance issue by City of Cape Town in March 2022 to apply for consent to run the rescue centre.
On November 1, 2024, after a legal battle that lasted over two and a half years and costing the NGO R250,000 in compliance efforts, the organisation was informed by the City of Cape Town that their application for a Special Consent Use Permit had been denied.
According to the City of Cape Town, the property’s proximity to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, within a regulated 5 km zone, makes the rescue centre ineligible for its intended use.
The City’s decision has left Fallen Angels Pet Rescue with no option but to vacate its current location within 90 days.
“This has been devastating news for all of us,” says co-founder Gayle Basson “We’ve poured our hearts, our blood, sweat, and tears into making this a safe haven. Moving will be incredibly challenging, but we cannot give up on these animals who have already been through so much.”
In a statement shared with IOL from Fallen Angels, the City of Cape Town stated their reasons for denying their application for the Special Consent Use Permit:
The authorised official on October 31, 2024 refused in terms of section 98 of the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning By-Law, 2015 (MPBL), the application for:
Consent use to permit an animal care centre for rescued animals to operate from a portion of the subject property
and
City approval to permit the proposed animal care centre within the Precautionary Action Zone (area within a 5 km radius of the Koeberg nuclear reactors)
Reasons for the above decision are as follows:
1) The proposal does not align with a pertinent guideline contained in the Municipal Spatial Development Framework (MSDF).
The subject property is located within the Precautionary Action Zone (area within a 5 km radius of the Koeberg nuclear reactors), where the MSDF indicates that no new development is permissible other than development that is directly related to the siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station (KNPS) or that constitutes exercising existing zoning rights.
Basson was informed by the City of Cape Town that they can appeal, however the chances of them being granted the Special Consent Use Permit is around 5% and will cost them a further R15 000.
To Read More
While the City of Cape Town plans to build high-density housing in the Melkbos area, they are forcing the animal rescue centre, Fallen Angels Pet Rescue off their privately owned land, citing zoning regulations and their proximity to Koeberg power station as their reason.
The decision by the City of Cape Town has left Fallen Angels Pet Rescue facing the daunting task of relocating its entire animal care centre within 90 days.
Gayle Basson and her co-founders, Shireen and late Lilian Williams established the organisation in 2010.
Basson purchased the land in 2014 as she had witnessed other animal welfare organisations being evicted from land they were renting.
At the time she was advised that land was zoned for agricultural use, however, as it was over 20 hectare they would be able to set up the animal rescue facility.
They were served a compliance issue by City of Cape Town in March 2022 to apply for consent to run the rescue centre.
On November 1, 2024, after a legal battle that lasted over two and a half years and costing the NGO R250,000 in compliance efforts, the organisation was informed by the City of Cape Town that their application for a Special Consent Use Permit had been denied.
According to the City of Cape Town, the property’s proximity to the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station, within a regulated 5 km zone, makes the rescue centre ineligible for its intended use.
The City’s decision has left Fallen Angels Pet Rescue with no option but to vacate its current location within 90 days.
“This has been devastating news for all of us,” says co-founder Gayle Basson “We’ve poured our hearts, our blood, sweat, and tears into making this a safe haven. Moving will be incredibly challenging, but we cannot give up on these animals who have already been through so much.”
In a statement shared with IOL from Fallen Angels, the City of Cape Town stated their reasons for denying their application for the Special Consent Use Permit:
The authorised official on October 31, 2024 refused in terms of section 98 of the City of Cape Town Municipal Planning By-Law, 2015 (MPBL), the application for:
Consent use to permit an animal care centre for rescued animals to operate from a portion of the subject property
and
City approval to permit the proposed animal care centre within the Precautionary Action Zone (area within a 5 km radius of the Koeberg nuclear reactors)
Reasons for the above decision are as follows:
1) The proposal does not align with a pertinent guideline contained in the Municipal Spatial Development Framework (MSDF).
The subject property is located within the Precautionary Action Zone (area within a 5 km radius of the Koeberg nuclear reactors), where the MSDF indicates that no new development is permissible other than development that is directly related to the siting, construction, operation and decommissioning of the Koeberg Nuclear Power Station (KNPS) or that constitutes exercising existing zoning rights.
Basson was informed by the City of Cape Town that they can appeal, however the chances of them being granted the Special Consent Use Permit is around 5% and will cost them a further R15 000.
To Read More