The City has finalised a study and feasibility plan to upgrade the Western Gateway Institutional Precinct of Khayelitsha, which will see this part of Khayelitsha receive exciting new developments that will benefit all residents of the area.

The Western Gateway Institutional Precinct is situated in the western part of Site C, alongside Lansdowne Road, where the sports fields for Site C are.

The purpose of the Precinct Framework Plan is to provide a holistic development vision for the area and to identify projects that can be implemented. This provides the City with design guidelines which will assist in planning a phased approach to the upgrade and development of the site over time. Community and stakeholder participation is seen to be a very important element of the process and will continue during further planning and implementation processes.

According to Astrid von Brucken from the City’s Spatial Planning and Urban Design Department, the study undertaken by her Department was funded by the City’s Urban Renewal Programme (URP).

The Precinct Framework supports the Violence Prevention through Urban Upgrades (VPUU) methodology and the VPUU’s Urban Design Principles for Safe Neighbourhoods. The VPUU is a partnership between the City of Cape Town, the German Development Bank (KfW) and the community of Khayelitsha.

Strategic partnerships have also been developed between the VPUU, Provincial and National Departments, civil society and the private sector. These partnerships are important in ensuring sustainable, integrated and democratically agreed upon projects for the Site C community.

“The Precinct Framework Plan sets out a logical ordering for the area incorporating public structure, built form, green systems, the movement network, and safety aspects of both day and night activities. The plan also recommends a facility for adult-based education and training (ABET) and/or a Centre of Excellence for Early Childhood Development (ECD), which will be important institutional facilities in the Site C area”, said Alderman Brian Watkyns, Chairperson of the Planning and Environment Portfolio Committee.

Combined with this, there is an opportunity to create sports academies such as a boxing or martial arts centre, owing to the local interest in these sports.This could be feasible with youth development organizations involved in using and managing such a facility. There are also possibilities for cricket or football associations working hand-in-hand with youth groups such as Football for Hope or Grassroots Soccer.

The Precinct Framework comprises of the following: 

• A public park with a public cultural facility, an indoor facility, institutional facility, kick-about fields and landscaping is proposed to be located in the southern end of the sports stadium site
  
• This public park and associated facilities will break down the existing barrier and allow pedestrian and non-motorised transport access, which will be crucial to the success of creating a positive and safe environment
  
• A vehicular and pedestrian access system is proposed to be situated between the sports stadium site and Encotsheni Primary School
  
• An ‘active sport’ facility is proposed along this route. This could be a swimming pool
  
• Mixed-use development, comprising a residential component is proposed along the eastern and western boundaries of the site
  
• Open ‘field’ space is considered for multi-purpose opportunities between the various sporting facilities
  
• The existing sports stadium building will be transformed into a double-sided facility, which could potentially house a sporting academy (dependent on interested bodies)
  
• It is proposed that Encotsheni Primary School upgrades the current underutilised school sports filed with an associated building facility which creates income-generating opportunities

 
2010/11/01