The Blouvlei in my experience is one of the most beautiful valleys in the world.
That is why I invested here many years ago. The fear that the landscape would one day give way to the tyranny of progress was always tempered by the strong feeling my neighbours had towards the Blouvlei’s rich cultural heritage. The South African Constitution along with several bylaws and acts have also been helpful in ensuring that the valley is protected against the constant push for unsuitable development and upheaval. The Heritage Resource Act has been at the centre of many a protest by landowners against this threat, including recently the well-subscribed petition against the erection of lamp posts which were set to deface the area.
The Drakenstein Municipality is clearly aware of the sensitivity of the Blouvlei and has formulated guidelines for its protection. The Heritage Overlay Protection Zone (HPOZ), under which the Blouvlei falls is one such guideline. A study commissioned by Drakenstein and undertaken by ARCON has very recently been adopted into the Land Use Planning Scheme. The study describes the Blouvlei as “a historic, scenic landscape strongly characterised by its intensely cultivated agricultural land – some of the earliest in the Drakenstein Valley. The study further emphasises “the outstanding record of historic built environment and agricultural use within a rural context.”
The preservation of heritage areas is further noted as a priority in the 2010 Spatial Development Plan for Drakenstein.
When I read in last week’s article that the necessary permissions had been granted by Heritage Western Cape (HWC) for United Exports to farm blueberries on the outskirts of Wellington, I had immediately to ask myself, “Where was Drakenstein? What were their recommendations to the HWC? I must add to this that it is not the blueberry farming per se that I find offensive but the size and possible impact of the operation. Already the green netting currently being established promises to obscure the “outstanding aesthetics and scenic landscape” which the Drakenstein HPOZ seeks to protect.
A full heritage impact study would have been the fair and democratic route for HWC to follow, before granting the permissions for the netting to be erected. In this way United Exports could have engaged with the community in a way which would give credence to a high standard of governance in the area. It would also have been a step towards the inclusive, participative, and open South African society that our inspiring new president wishes to achieve.
