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Appeals against Cape Town World Cup stadium shown red card
CAPE TOWN (AFP) - Plans to build a 68,000-seater stadium for Cape Town to host a 2010 football World Cup semi-final got the green light from the provincial government when it dismissed a series of appeals.
The province upheld the initial environmental authorisation and approved applications for the rezoning of the stadium grounds, Western Cape environment, planning and economic development minister Tasneem Essop told reporters in Cape Town.
"Far from having a substantial detrimental effect on the environment, overall the new stadium and urban park on the Green Point Common will have a beneficial impact on the local environment and will benefit the broader Cape Town community," she said.
Those opposing the authorisation included the Green Point Common Association, a residents´ body which cited environmental concerns and mooted court action.
The provincial government and World Cup organisers subsequently threatened to strip Cape Town of its World Cup host status if disputes over the planning process delayed construction.
On Friday, residents spokesman David Polovin said talks with the city council were ongoing to seek a compromise deal.
"We are trying to thrash out a solution," he told AFP. "All of us want the best for Cape Town."
The proposed stadium in the suburb of Green Point is one of few large enough to stage a semi-final -- yet to be allocated to host cities.
Noting Essop´s decision, the Cape Town city council stressed its commitment to public consultation in the final stages of the authorisation process.
"This is an important decision in the process of readying Cape Town to play its full role as 2010 host city and semi-final venue while ensuring we leave a lasting legacy in the interests of all Cape Towns citizens," mayor Helen Zille said in a statement.
The council would meet on January 17 to consider granting authorisation for the newly rezoned Green Point Common, one of the final prerequisites for stadium construction to start.
Essop expressed confidence on Friday that enough time remained to complete the stadium by the end of 2009 as required by world football body FIFA.
City officials have previously said construction should ideally start by mid-January.
The stadium is to be erected on 18 hectares of land currently occupied by a golf course. An existing, smaller, stadium is to be dismantled and the 85 hectares surrounding the new stadium is to be developed into an urban park.
Six months have been set aside for park development plans to be drawn up, including a public consultation process which Essop said would not hold up construction of the stadium itself.
"It will give everyone in Cape Town and those living in the immediate vicinity an opportunity to determine the future layout of the urban park ... which is to be retained as a sport, recreational and public open space," the minister said.
South Africa is expecting nearly half a million foreign tourists during the World Cup in 2010, the first time the tournament is to be been staged in Africa. Cape Town has traditionally drawn more visitors than other cities.
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