‘Settlement’ ends legal battle over River Club construction with City of Cape Town

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29-06-2023
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Times Live
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A legal battle to halt construction of the multi-billion-rand River Club development in Cape Town, where online retail giant Amazon will be based has ended in a settlement with the City of Cape Town. 

The Observatory Civic Association, a community-led group, attempted to interdict developers from going ahead with construction pending a broader court showdown over the development approvals.

However, the Supreme Court of Appeal in May refused the association permission to appeal an earlier high court order which dismissed its application to interdict the development. 

The city said in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that it had “accepted a settlement offer by the Observatory Civil Association for the complete and final cessation of all legal action in relation to the River Club development matter”. 

Mayor Geordin-Hill Lewis said: “The city is pleased with this outcome and the clear message it conveys — that the city will always vigorously defend planning decisions taken correctly, and will act to protect Cape Town’s reputation as a leading global investment destination.” 

The development is proceeding according to its planning approval conditions.

The benefits, according to the city, include creating more than 5,200 construction jobs and about 19,000 employment opportunities and establishing heritage infrastructure in partnership with affected communities, among others.