By Guy Rogers

The controversial office block development next to the Hindu temple in the Lower Baakens Valley has come to a standstill after being turned down by the Provincial Heritage Authority.

The project was initially halted six months ago by the Provincial Heritage Resources Agency after a complaint filed by the congregation of the 106- year-old Subramanier Aulayam temple. The developer appealed against the ruling, but the agency‘s appeals‘ committee has now upheld it.

Architect John Rushmere, who sat on the committee, said on Wednesday that their decision was related to the concerns raised by the temple congregants as well as to wider concerns about development in the valley.

The temple has argued that excavations for Phambili‘s multi-storey office block could destabilise the foundations of the temple‘s old walls.

The block would also overlook the temple garden and destroy the privacy of rituals. It would also block out the sun, an important part of Hindu ritual, for much of the day, they said.

Rushmere said the lack of a comprehensive development vision for the Lower Baakens Valley was the other reason for the decision.

“More than any other feature in Port Elizabeth, the Baakens Valley has huge potential to be our world class landmark like Central Park in New York or the Ramblas (a long tree-lined pedestrian mall in Barcelona) or Cape Town‘s Table Mountain.

“To fulfil this potential the natural environment has to be protected from ad hoc developments. The wonderful possibilities around re-connecting the harbour to the river can then be explored.

“If we allow private commercial ad hoc development which is not in the public‘s interest to go ahead, in time we will be left with huge regret that we have raped our valley.”

Pambili Developments project manager Peter Reed declined to comment.

Shree Kesu Padayachy, senior priest at the temple, said his understanding was that the developer would now be lodging an appeal with the department of environmental affairs.

The Subramanier Aulayam, the main Tamil Hindu temple in Port Elizabeth, serving about 9000 members of the faith, has in the meantime also lodged an appeal with the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality noting their objections to the project, Padayachy said.

In February, Phambili caused consternation among local residents and environmentalists when they felled two giant coral trees on the site.

Source: The Herald