Environmental impact assessment (EIA) firm Infinity Environmental has released a pre-application draft scoping report on the proposed R20-billion expansion project at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

V&A Waterfront Holdings proposes turning the Granger Bay Precinct of the Waterfront into a new mixed-use residential and commercial node.

The proposal, in short, includes the reclamation of land from the sea, to be protected by new coastal defence structures, including two new breakwaters forming a sheltered bay.

The development would provide for public access along this section of shoreline, west of the V&A Waterfront, extending the existing public promenade.

The project should see the reclamation of roughly 3.2 ha of land from Table Bay. This reclamation will be protected by a new, permanent rock revetment and an east and west breakwater forming a protected bay around three hectares in size.

The west breakwater will extend about 90 m into Table Bay, and the east breakwater 140 m.

 A revetment connecting the two breakwaters will be around 540 m long.

The new – public – bay should provide sheltered waters for boating, kayaking and swimming.

Proposed land-based amenities will include a coastal public walkway, a slipway, a fixed quayside, a landscaped promenade, tidal pools, pedestrian paths and open areas.

The revetment and breakwater will be constructed in phases over roughly three years.

A new mixed-use development is proposed on the portion of the site currently located within 100 m of the highwater mark, which will accommodate residential, hotel, leisure and commercial uses, with residential accommodation options such as hotels, serviced apartments and private apartments.

The V&A proposes that the Granger Bay development will be supported by various transport modes, including Cape Town’s MyCiTi bus service, a park-and-ride service, as well as micro-mobility services.

No major access road or external road network upgrades are required to support the proposed development.

Wastewater management, potable water supply, solid waste removal and disposal and electricity supply will be accommodated within the existing infrastructure capacity.

The additional 440 000 m2 development and its funding have already been approved by joint shareholders Growthpoint and the Public Investment Corporation.

Infinity Environmental’s draft scoping report forms part of the scoping and EIA process.

It identifies the environmental issues and impacts that will be further assessed in the EIA process, and sets out a plan for the studies, assessments and participation processes that will be undertaken.

Following public consultation, the scoping report will be submitted to the competent authority for approval before the EIA process starts.

Infinity Environmental says the proposed development will require ministerial and parliamentary approval for the land reclamation process in terms of the Integrated Coastal Management Act.

An application for the pre-approval of land reclamation has already been made to the national Minister of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, and the consideration of this application will run in parallel with the scoping process.

The pre-application scoping report is available for comment by interested and affected parties, key stakeholders and government departments.

The 30-day commenting period started on July 31 and will end on September 1.