The pristine and safest swimming beach in the Western Cape – Strand – has been raped and irreversibly damaged.
The new promenade and wall built to "protect" private property has done long-term damage to nature and will be the single most important factor why Blue Flag status will escape this beach.
Based on the current state of affairs, the proposed second and third phases of the project should be stopped for further assessment.
Once a nature lover's and swimmer's heaven, this beach has been scarred – stormwater pipes are now prohibiting beachgoers walking uninterrupted on the sand between Lourens River and Surfside; access to once pristine swimming areas are now impossible; nothing has happened to the rehabilitation of sand – which was used for filling under the promenade; and the removal of stone from the beach and encroachment of the pavement on to the sand is causing an eyesore and replaced once sandy beaches with concrete and brick paving.
The economic value of ground floor properties on Beach Road have tanked with the obliterating of the seaview.
The proposed stormwater pipes were supposedly earmarked for below the sand surface. A new approach to control is asked for as engineers cannot think out of the box.