---
title: "‘Outraged’ St James residents vow legal fight over Prasa’s retirement apartments plan"
description: "The proposal for a 1.1-hectare strip of land between Main Road and the railway line has sparked anger among residents, who have vowed legal action over tender processes and the development’s potential heritage and environmental impact."
type: "NewsArticle"
publisher: "Daily Maverick"
site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za"
section: "CAPE SEASIDE BACKLASH"
author: "Matthew Hirsch"
author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/matthew-hirsch/"
canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-11-15-outraged-st-james-residents-vow-legal-fight-over-prasas-retirement-apartments-plan/"
published: "2026-11-15T20:45:38"
lang: "en-ZA"
word_count: 2076
---

# ‘Outraged’ St James residents vow legal fight over Prasa’s retirement apartments plan

> The proposal for a 1.1-hectare strip of land between Main Road and the railway line has sparked anger among residents, who have vowed legal action over tender processes and the development’s potential heritage and environmental impact.

By Matthew Hirsch · Published 15 November 2026, 22:45 SAST

## Key points
- Residents of St James are up in arms over Prasa’s plan for senior living apartments on a 1.1-hectare site between Main Road and the railway line.
- They fear traffic, parking pressure, environmental damage and the loss of sweeping bay views and heritage in an area protected by strict planning controls.
- The City says no development application has yet been submitted, while Prasa maintains that statutory approvals and public participation will be required.
- Residents have filed a PAIA request and are considering High Court action to challenge the tender, amid wider concerns about gentrification and the privatisation of public coastal spaces.

## Content

A new proposal to build “senior living apartments” on state-owned land in St James, Cape Town, may be in the very early stages, but it has already infuriated locals, who worry about its potential impact on the environment, as well as a traffic and parking nightmare – not to mention the “enormous” heritage loss.

In Cape Town’s deep south, hundreds of people have joined a WhatsApp group regarding the possible development on the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) land. A community meeting to discuss the development threat was held on Friday, 13 November.

Prasa’s property company, Intersite Asset Investments, has awarded a development lease for the “retirement/senior living apartments”. The 1.1-hectare property is between Main Road and the railway line. It includes the Danger Beach carpark, the St James tennis court, more parking spaces, the historic station master’s houses, the railway station and the old post office.

The project is one of six Western Cape sites earmarked by Intersite for development by private-sector partners in a proposed R3.6-billion investment pipeline. The projects are expected to deliver 790 residential apartments and more than 4,000 student apartments on well-located rail-linked land.

The six development opportunities are:

- Student accommodation at Cape Town Station (Eris Property Group);
- Student accommodation at Stellenbosch Station (Growthpoint);
- Student accommodation at Stellenbosch Erf 430 (Kromkrans JV);
- Retirement/senior living apartments at St James (Kromkrans JV);
- Residential apartments at Eerste River (Go-Group); and
- Residential apartments in Somerset Street (Go-Group).

Intersite said last month that this Western Cape programme forms part of a broader pipeline through which the company intends to bring further opportunities to the market across its national portfolio, and to “deepen its engagement with South Africa’s property sector”.

However, according to the City of Cape Town, the Development Management Department has not received any land use application or application for a pre-submission meeting “in respect of the alleged development at St James”.

“Any proposed development of the site would be subject to the necessary statutory planning processes and approvals in terms of the City’s Municipal Planning Bylaw and all other applicable bylaws. A land use application would be required, should the proposal necessitate land use rights or departures from the existing approved rights. Such an application would be subject to the applicable assessment processes and public participation,” the City said.

“Given the public interest importance of this matter, any such application would be widely advertised to provide interested and affected parties, including local residents and community organisations, with an opportunity to review the proposal and submit comments or objections for consideration as part of the decision-making process.

![St James and Kalk Bay are popular tourist destinations for views like these.  (Photo: Matthew Hirsch)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/uBW_8QInNUlZcohcJruLs9hn15c=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StJames-Prasa-development2_305132.jpg)

*St James and Kalk Bay are popular tourist destinations because of views like this. (Photo: Matthew Hirsch)*

“To reiterate: the City cannot comment any further as the Development Management Department has not received a development application. Neither can we comment on any potential impact on heritage resources, public amenities or access to facilities in the area, or the approvals that may ultimately be required,” it said.

According to tender documents, issued last year, “Intersite is calling on private sector developers and investors to express interest in packaging these assets to unlock value and generate revenue. Intersite will in turn award leases to suitable developers that demonstrate the capability to finance and deliver on time and on agreed terms.”

Bidders would be required to verify the zoning status with local municipal offices to evaluate and match the proposed use with local bylaws.

It describes the area as vibrant “with beautiful white sand beaches which boast calm waters uncommon in other Cape Town beaches”.

### ‘Huge outcry’

Resident Peter Barron said they had submitted a Promotion of Access to Information Act (PAIA) request concerning several proposed developments.

“I think there’s going to be a huge outcry. They’re not off to a good start with this,” Barron said, adding they were not against development, but it should be done in a way that “does not impact the area negatively”.

“If Prasa were meaningful about this, they should have come out and gone to the community. The way it’s done needs to be taken into consideration.

“If you’re a private resident living in St James, there are very strict heritage as well as building requirements. Prasa seems to have been immune to these requirements, certainly, up until now.”

Eddie Andrews, the mayoral committee member for spatial planning and environment, said any development would have to comply with applicable legislation, including heritage, environmental and land-use requirements, the City’s Development Management Scheme and relevant fire safety requirements.

“The public participation requirements for proposed developments on Prasa land will depend on the nature of each development and the applicable statutory approval processes,” he told Daily Maverick.

Kalk Bay and St James is a declared urban conservation area, according to the The ratepayers association, so any alterations or new construction need the approval of the City’s Urban Conservation branch. This would “include anything as basic as the erection of garden walls, fences and gates”.

The City also requires that comment be obtained from ratepayers’ heritage subcommittee.

[Media: "Chart: From tidal pool to apartment block: How Prasa’s St James land became a flashpoint"](https://charts.dailymaverick.co.za/chart/17d2daa3f726fa45c12aea41)

Prasa spokesperson Andiswa Makanda said: “Prasa utilises a standard commercial lease agreement for all commercial properties.”

For all developments on Prasa property, explained Makanda, a “request for proposal” process is followed. Once a developer had been appointed, public participation was one of the requirements.

Tony Trimmel, of the Kalk Bay and St James Ratepayers and Residents Association, said they have not been contacted about the proposed development, “but, if this development should go ahead, it would be a disaster for the area”.

He said residents’ main concerns included the potential impact on traffic and the environment.

Speaking at Friday’s community meeting, environmental lawyer Nicholas Smith said they would consider legal action. This decision would be made once they had received information from the PAIA request.

He added that there were still a lot of unknowns around the proposed development.

“What makes this an unusual but not an exceptional case is that there’s a very real likelihood that, if we find difficulties in the award of the tender, (and) other procedural flaws, then we would want to challenge the award.

“What makes that unusual is that instead of going through myriad different statutory approval processes, our challenge may have to begin with litigation.

“It may have to begin with a high court application, to seek the judicial review and setting aside of that tender award,” he told attendees.

![Residents are concerned about the potential impact of a new development and its impact on heritage and traffic.  (Photo: Matthew Hirsch)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/F480cneJ8aru7Yd5oeHQdbp6Nx0=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StJames-Prasa-development4_429500.jpg)

*Residents are concerned about the potential impact of the new development on heritage and traffic. (Photo: Matthew Hirsch)*

### ‘Devastating blow’

Residents at the meeting were also told that the area falls into a [Heritage Protection Overlay Zone](https://www.capetown.gov.za/work-and-business/commercial-properties/build-or-renovate-your-property/your-heritage-site-or-building/), which provides guidance on how individual erven may be developed.

Resident Margot King, who volunteers to clean up Danger Beach Park, said: “I think it’s a complete and utter outrage.”

“You’ve got these sweeping views across the bay of the mountains in the distance, and everyone who walks or cycles or drives gets that view. They’re gonna be robbed of it.”

King said there was already a lack of parking for visitors who use the beach.

“The park would disappear under the concrete. It’s been there for 100 years. If the development goes ahead, all of that heritage is lost; it’s enormous,” she told Daily Maverick.

“It would be a devastating blow. There are lots of little pockets of areas that volunteers have adopted and are working on. I don’t think anyone would want to take their time and get into open spaces if this is the kind of thing that can happen. It won’t just be a loss to locals; it will be a loss to the whole of Cape Town.”

### ‘Threat’ to disadvantaged communities

For people like Faez Poggenpoel, a fifth-generation small-scale fisher, the potential loss of coastal land speaks to a much deeper issue.

“Kalk Bay has always been multicultural and we’re very proud of that. It is why the area is attractive to tourists.

“Unfortunately, unchecked capitalism and gentrification are really one of the biggest threats to our disadvantaged communities because they have no recourse,” he said.

“We can’t just allow businesses to consume this just for profit, because then we’re going to turn St James into just another modern beachfront area. We have a unique heritage that we need to protect, but also we have a responsibility because of our past to have an inclusive arrangement.”

![Residents have volunteered to clean up this space near Danger Beach, St James; now it faces a potential development threat.  (Photo: Matthew Hirsch)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/pq7Nr129pT-HzzD6JV2mFwKbZyI=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/StJames-Prasa-development1_303167.jpg)

*Residents have volunteered to clean up this space near Danger Beach, St James. Now it faces a potential development threat. (Photo: Matthew Hirsch)*

Poggenpoel points out that Kalk Bay’s roots as a fishing village go back centuries. But when it was declared a whites-only area under the Group Areas Act, thousands of families were forcibly moved from the area.

While most families were pushed out of the area, some families survived the Slums Act of 1934. For generations, says Poggenpoel, they have lived in a block of about 50 flats built in the 1940s for fisher families, tucked behind Main Road. But they were struggling to afford rates and the rising cost of living.

Today, Kalk Bay and St James are both considered desirable neighbourhoods to live in, with prices for homes skyrocketing in recent years. **DM**

> **Brass Bell and a history of protest**
>
> It is not the first time that residents in Kalk Bay have had issues with commercial properties on Prasa land. In September, residents of Kalk Bay and surrounds protested outside the Brass Bell restaurant on Main Road.
>
> Residents carried banners that read “this is a beach not a bar”, “what happened to the kiddies pool” and “enough fishy business”. This was after the restaurant built a temporary deck over what residents say used to be a beach at a kiddies’ tidal pool. 
>
> Makanda confirmed the lease agreement with Brass Bell owner Tony White. “We are also in the process of renewing the lease and concluding terms of renewal for a further period of 10 years,” she said 
>
> “The kiddies’ tidal pool lies within Prasa’s land and within the leased area of Brass Bell. It is not a public pool area, contrary to what others claim.” However, she added that Prasa, the Brass Bell and the City of Cape Town have a written agreement allowing public access to the kiddies’ tidal pool.
>
> The public was allowed access from 6am to midnight in summer and 8am to midnight in winter.
>
> “Contrary to the public outcry, this arrangement is in the interest of ensuring this kiddies’ pool area is available to the public and is in a safe and healthy state of use. The deck, which seems to be raising a lot of ire from the community, is a safe temporary structure that can be removed at any point if the need arises, but does not tamper with the utilisation of the kiddies pool. 
>
> “Our interest is for the community to be aware that this kiddies’ pool area is available for use at the times indicated,” she said.
>
> Makanda said the Brass Bell paid a monthly “market-related rental, including an annual turnover rental.
>
> ![More than 200 people  protested protested against construction at Kalk Bay Tidal Pools in Cape Town on 2 April 2022. The protest came after Brass  Bell planned to build a deck over the last piece of sand at the children’s pool. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/U0MkgVGWHN12lRaMOG4m-iZ-4tQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/dailymaverick/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/Tori-BrassBell1.jpg)
>
> *More than 200 people protested at the Brass Bell on 2 April 2022, after the restaurant built a temporary deck over what residents say used to be a beach at a kiddies’ tidal pool. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)*
>
> Andrews said the City was aware of the temporary deck at his establishment. “The property belongs to Prasa and is leased to the Brass Bell. The City previously engaged on the matter to ensure guaranteed rights of public access to the two tidal pools that do belong to the City and therefore the public. This public access has been retained and protected by the City.”
>
> The City remained committed to protecting public access to the two tidal pools, which fell within Coastal Public Property were under its responsibility, in accordance with the City’s Coastal Bylaw and the National Environmental Management: Integrated Coastal Management Act. 
>
> But, as Poggenpoel argues: “The City hasn’t done anything; they claim that it is Prasa land, and that’s unacceptable. If our community had to go on that same area of land and put up settlements there to sleep or to trade, they would come and knock it down. Businesses can just close our areas.”
>
> According to Poggenpoel, businesses and new private developments taking up public spaces is “a recipe for disaster”. 
>
> Daily Maverick contacted Brass Bell owner Tony White for comment on the protests. He referred us to Prasa. **DM**