Coniston Park residents oppose plans for new high school

The community of Coniston Park has fiercely objected to the building of a new high school in Coniston Avenue.

They have asked the Western Cape Education Department (WCED) to reconsider the plans for the school in the area with mostly seniors citizens who will not be able to cope with the resulting traffic congestion, noise pollution and loss of privacy.

Keegan Ford, vice-chairperson of the Coniston Ratepayers’ and Residents’ Association (CPRRA) as well as the chairperson of ConWatch neighbourhood watch, said Coniston Park is too small of an area to accommodate more than a thousand pupils from other areas in a high school.

He said the increased traffic around school zones during morning drop-offs and afternoon pick-ups can pose safety risks for pupils, pedestrians and motorists and the influx of people from outside the area could increase the potential for crime or other safety issues.

"We, as the CPRRA, need to protect the seniors in this regard. As much as there is a need for a school to support the likes of the Vrygrond community that should not be the only factor to consider. We should never meet the needs of one community to the detriment of another. Also Metro South is huge, why fight to have it here?”

Mr Ford said there are several reasons why the community does not want a school in their area.

This includes noise pollution as schools, particularly high schools, generate a lot of noise from playgrounds, sports activities, and large gatherings. This could disrupt the peace and quiet of a residential neighborhood.

Limited infrastructure as Coniston Park may not have the infrastructure to support a large school.

Issues such as inadequate road networks, limited parking facilities, and lack of public transportation access could pose challenges.

Impact on property values as some residents may be concerned about declining property values due to increased traffic, noise, and changes in the character of the neighborhood.

He said if residents of Coniston Park were not properly consulted, it could lead to strong opposition based on the feeling of exclusion from important decision-making processes.

Mr Ford said a meeting was scheduled with the WCED and ward councillor Marita Petersen on Thursday March 20 where the residents would have raised questions of concern but it was cancelled due to a few residents asking for postponement because of Eid.

“We wanted to suggest why other areas with better infrastructure and space may be more suitable for building a school, minimizing disruption to existing communities.”

Mr Ford said a “full scope of the project" should be considered through a public participation process.

"The CPRRA ran our own public participation process with residents, gathering feedback and presenting the results to WCED and councillor Marita Petersen on Monday March 17, where 87% of residents opposed the development, yet this has been completely ignored. Why did the process manage to get this far, and only a selected handful of residents were allowed to comment on the current zoning approval?”

Bronagh Hammond, director of communication for the WCED, said: “The planning for a new school in Coniston Park has been initiated, however, the full project has not been approved. Infrastructure has identified available, serviced and zoned land in the area for a high school to address the demand in Metro South. “There is still lots of planning and alignment work that still needs to be done before final approval. Therefore, dates for construction cannot be verified currently.

“If final approval is granted then construction will go ahead, but dates not finalised pending that approval. Note, all projects are budget dependent. Final budget allocations for 2025/2026 have only recently been announced, therefore final approvals of projects are being considered based on budget allocations."

Ms Hammond added: “The land has been zoned for education purposes. It does not differentiate between public ordinary and/or special schools. “The school will be phased to comply with Land Use Rights that apply.”

Ms Petersen responded: “The plot that is or was requested for reservation to build a school was from inception earmarked for a school. In 2022 an application for rezoning was made by WCED for a special needs school. That was only rezoning. Which followed extensive public participation where the ratepayers' association participated in the process and it went to the Planning Tribunal. Subsequently, the proposal took to the need for a high school with the focus on maths and science. 

“The application came in 2022 from the WCED. When the application came through I made contact with the ratepayers' association and advised that there is an application to rezone. We met online during lockdown and fleshed out the impact of the development in lieu of traffic impact and commuter safety which is a long-standing challenge for the area. I had never wavered my position on the fact that the proposed entrance to the school will have a major impact on the traffic flow on Coniston Avenue. Hence I would attend the tribunal sitting and supported the community's stand. 

“We need more high schools in the area. We have a substantial amount of Grade 8s not placed due to the shortage of Schools. The WCED needs to be consulted on its public participation process. As the local councillor I made contact and was inclusive, engaged as far as I can and will continue to advocate to address their concerns.”