The Hangklip/Kleinmond ratepayers federation have applied for the reviewing and setting aside of the decision to allow the second phase of the Arabella development as it is in an environmentally sensitive area which was never supposed to accommodate such a large residential development.

The Arabella golf resort near Hermanus will perpetuate urban sprawl should there be further development argued the ratepayers federation at the end of five days in the Western Cape High Court.

It was suggested that the former environment and planning MEC Tasneem Essop’s decision to allow the second phase of the Arabella development may have been due to commercial and political pressure from former Premier Ebrahim Rasool who met with community members in favour of the development.

The developers had appealed to her after her department, which did not approve of further development, had turned them down.

The first phase of the Arabella development consisting of an 18-hole golf course, a hotel and over 200 houses presented itself as a resort but was rather a residential development in an area which was not zoned as residential.

Owen Rogers SC, acting pro bono for the ratepayers, indicated that departmental experts had cautioned that the area, being environmentally sensitive, was never supposed to accommodate such a large residential development.

Developers claimed that unless they were able to develop a second golf course for international championships the first development would remain doomed to close during the quiet winter months.

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