Development plans for the Dido Valley housing project have gathered momentum, with the tender for the construction of civil services closing earlier this month.

The development will see the construction of 600 units on an 18ha site along Dido Valley Road to house residents from Red Hill, Luyolo land claimants and beneficiaries listed on the old Simon’s Town Housing List. This has been subject to approvals from various departments (“Hurdles for housing”, People’s Post, 4 June 2014).

The development has required environmental authorisation and a water use licence. It was initially planned in two phases, but will now be developed as one phase.

The project has been valued at just over R97m.

Civil construction is expected to start this year and will take a year before construction of the houses can commence. This will see the expected date for the handover of houses late next year or early in 2018.

The Red Hill Development Forum and the Project Steering Committee have given the go-ahead for the layout as well as house typologies, while the town planning application and layout were approved by the Spatial and Environmental Land Use Management Committee on 15 October 2014, by Mayco on 19 March last year and by Council on 30 April last year.

Land has been set aside for the development of businesses, as well as community facilities such as a crèche and church. There will also be public open spaces.

Tenders are being adjudicated now, after which an appointment will be made, says Benedicta van Minnen, the City’s Mayco member for human settlements. Once the appeal period expires, a contract will be signed with the successful bidder.

This is expected to take place by the end of June, with the contractor expected on site in July.

–News 24 (People’s Post –Nicole Mccain)