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Tuesday 12 June 2012
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‘Dream house’ deferred TAMMY PETERSEN
THE OWNERS of a house which has raised the ire of Lansdowne residents says paperwork stood in the way of them occupying their two-storey home. Situated in Frere Road, neighbours believe vagrants and people with ill intentions are eyeing the building which, they say, has been vacant for about four years. But the owner, who lives a few roads away and wishes not to be named, says work on the interior of the house had recently commenced after red tape with the council’s planning department stood in the way of their building their dream home. A resident tells People’s Post the house was in a worse state until about a month ago, when workers started cleaning up, and removing rubble and dirt scattered on the property. Another neighbour claims she once saw a trespasser peering onto her property from behind one of the boarded-up windows. “I shouted at him and he darted from the house. I found it very unsettling because that place is massive,” she says. A different local says there is “constant activity” on the property – specifically at night. “Before long, we will find a couple of vagrants who have made it their home. This is a decent area man. Hardworking people have invested in houses here and such a sorry sight decreases our property values.” But the home owner argues that when he bought the house, it was “not in a good condition”. “We had four options: either bring it down, renovate, remodel or re-engineer. We started with the work but were stopped by the City of Cape Town because we needed additional approval.” He showed People’s Post a copy of the plans, which shows a complete
EYESORE: This house in Frere Road, Lansdowne, has incensed resi dents owing to its poor state. Photo: Tammy Petersen remodelling of the interior and exterior, as well as new fencing. After a “long, drawn-out” dispute, he only recently received the go-ahead from council. He says he has ensured someone checks in on the house twice a day to keep an eye on the property. “We previously had someone living in the house, but he stole the internal fittings and made off,” he
says. “There is no risk of vagrants occupying the property as we have constant supervision at the house.” When People’s Post visited the house last week, a sheet and a mattress covered the window on the ground floor, while the glass from a second-storey frame was missing. Barbed wire is fitted to a section of the boundary wall, while a dis-
connected steel gate tries to hold intruders out. Birds have turned the ceiling of the property into “one giant nest”, causing piles of droppings to fall onto her property, the neighbour continues. “Because of it, I have dozens of massive flies constantly buzzing on my property,” she says. “It is unhygienic and a great irritation.”
The homeowner says he has always been mindful of his neighbours, and has followed up on any complaints they might have had. “I started with the interior of the house but if they like, I could do the outside first. Renovations are never pretty and are sometimes drawn out. But the end result will increase the value of the area – it will be a standout property.”